


Chaos on Earth: A Sonic X Rewrite

by Stardown



Series: Sonic X Rewrite [1]
Category: Sonic X, Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adaptation, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Empathy, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Post-Sonic Forces, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 116,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21646057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stardown/pseuds/Stardown
Summary: After an unprecedented and phenomenal Chaos Control incident following a battle at Dr. Eggman's base, Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends are transported to a planet called Earth. While overcoming the planet's many challenges, they eventually befriend a lonely human boy named Chris Thorndyke. When Eggman shows up with the threat of world domination, will Sonic and his friends rise to the challenge and prevent the mad doctor from turning the planet into his Eggman Empire? Rewrite of Sonic X. Post-Forces AU; contains one OC.
Relationships: Amy Rose & Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Sonic X Rewrite [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560469
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Gotta Go Fast

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking out Chaos on Earth: A Sonic X Rewrite. I understand that, while many people enjoyed watching Sonic X, some people were (and still are) critical of the anime for varying reasons. While I personally enjoyed it as it was, I too agree that there should be changes. And this fanfiction will attempt to rewrite it, doing everything right this time around.
> 
> The original Japanese version of Sonic X is arguably superior to the English dub in many ways. For instance, the voice acting in the English version is below average, mostly because it was executed by 4Kids, which butchered many other anime shows as well, particularly One Piece. This is due in part to the fact that they never even heard of Sonic in the case of Sonic X. Many anime in the late 90s and early 2000s disregarded the source material, and Sonic X is no different. Then there is the needless censoring and omitted lines and even whole scenes, some of which are crucial to the episodes they are part of. I could go on, but any further ranting would warrant its own post on a blog or video somewhere.
> 
> Before you proceed to read the story, I think you should be aware of some of the major changes I will make in comparison to the original anime:
> 
> #1: Chris Thorndyke's personality will be gutted and completely changed. I believe Chris alone is the reason many people are critical of Sonic X, as he can sound whiny at times. Expect him to have a personality facelift.
> 
> #2: There will be more events per episode. I feel at liberty to tweak some scenes (for the better), as well as add new ones. After all, I am not confined to a time slot or budget. All I need is time and imagination.
> 
> #3: The rewrite will focus primarily on Chris and Sonic. Scenes focusing on these two characters will be told in their perspectives, and all other scenes will be told in a third-person POV.
> 
> #4: With the exception of the Murasia story, the Homebound Saga will be scrapped and replaced with an original story.
> 
> #5: Only one primary OC will appear. He will be a human, and will not appear as much as Chris, but will still occasionally play an important role, primarily in the Metarex Saga. There will be occasional minor background OCs as well. The primary OC will be introduced in "Party Hardly".
> 
> #6: This story will be a post-Forces AU. This means it is not canon to the IDW comics or any games released after Forces.
> 
> #7: Sonic and his friends will have updated personalities, comparable to their Modern, Archie, and IDW counterparts Additionally, hospitality, sympathy, and friendship will be leading themes.
> 
> #8: Very few characters from other Sonic media will be added. I can confirm that Orbot and Cubot will appear eventually, but as for other characters… well, you'll have to wait and see.
> 
> #9: Episodes will be renamed to fit the new format. For example, the first episode, "Chaos Control Freaks", will be renamed "Gotta Go Fast".
> 
> #10: Humans will be more mature in the story.
> 
> #11: There will be moments of injury. These are mild, infrequent, and not enough to warrant an M or E rating, but when they are used, I will give a warning at the beginning of the chapter. I will only use them if I see a way they could benefit the plot.
> 
> #12: Most characters that don't already have first/last names will be given some.
> 
> #13: In addition to the E-series robots, Badniks from the games will appear in the story. Among them are Motobugs, Buzzbombers, Crabmeats, and Orbinauts.
> 
> #14: Some of the E-Series robots' names will be changed to make more sense.
> 
> Other things to expect from me:
> 
> #1: Some filler episodes that do not contribute to the plot will be omitted. Of the first twenty-six episodes, "That's What Friends Are For", "Fast Friends", and "Little Chao Lost" will be fully omitted; and "The Dam Scam" and "How to Catch a Hedgehog" will be partially omitted.
> 
> #2: As my writing skills improve, I may go back and tweak previous chapters.
> 
> #3: I will try to submit chapters monthly, but up until chapter 13, I may upload quicker. I may take infrequent hiatuses to expand my backlog or work on other stories.
> 
> If you managed to get this far, that's great! If you've watched Sonic X before, enjoy seeing the story being retold in a whole new light. However, if you've never seen Sonic X before, then just sit back, relax, and enjoy the adventure of a lifetime...
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any elements in this story except for my own characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by SEGA, who does not endorse or affiliate itself with this work of fiction. Real world locations and organizations are used fictitiously.
> 
> Without further ado, let us begin...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A phenomenal Chaos Control event is invoked at Dr. Eggman's headquarters, transporting Sonic is to a distant planet, where he must deal with law enforcement. Rewrite adaptation of Episode 1, "Chaos Control Freaks".

**Eggman's base - Outside — August 19; 10:49 PM — Sonic's POV**

They don't call me the "fastest thing alive" for nothing.

When you're "rolling around at the speed of sound", as that song so accurately puts it, you tend to have a pretty exciting life. Which is normal for me, because I was _ born _ for speed. And my speed has carried me all across Mobius and beyond on many daring adventures.

But I think the biggest adventures I have are when I get to battle the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik, better known as Dr. Eggman, the catchy nickname I branded him with years ago. At first he hated that name with a passion, but now the mad scientist took it to heart, and has built lots of robots with names like Egg This, Egg That, and so on. But none of 'em last long when I'm around. I've earned myself quite a reputation for trashing his 'bots and sending him packing. But like all those other cliché villains, he never gives up. He always comes back for more. And I take him down. Every. Single. Time.

Well… not _ every _ time, though. He does win some of the time, to be fair. Not too long ago, he destroyed a Mobian city as part of his plan to build the Eggman Empire with the help of his new servant Infinite. Using a powerful artifact known as the Phantom Ruby, Infinite summoned an almost-literal army of ghosts from the past to defeat me and imprison me for six months aboard a space station. Six months without running. Six months without fighting. Six months of being submerged in water and other tortures I won't go into. Anyway, I later managed to escape, and, together with a rookie friend of mine, we kicked Eggman's butt and sent him packing once again.

But of course, he came right back. He vowed revenge, as he usually did, and swore to get rid of me once and for all. Same song, different verse. We've clashed a good couple dozen or so times in the year or so since then. Some battles he won, but most of them… well… you get the idea.

But there was one such adventure I would never forget.

That one saw me running toward his big, ugly fortress. My mission: to crack that Eggman wide open and bust Cream out of there. The six-year-old rabbit had been kidnapped by the doctor and held as ransom in exchange for the last Chaos Emerald we had. The other six were slyly taken from us a few days ago, when Eggman distracted us with one of his robots. We had since found the last Emerald, and planned to keep it safe from Eggman's bots.

However, it was _ too _ safe. How, you ask? Well, I'll get to that in a Sonic second.

So anyway, I was running straight toward Eggman's fort head-on. Tails and Amy agreed to provide aerial support in the Tornado 2 wherever needed. It was just us three out there that night. I think Knuckles would have liked to join the party, but we hadn't seen him for a week - something about picking up the trail of a Chaos Emerald, he said. We hadn't heard from him since. Shadow was busy doing GUN stuff again, Blaze was back in her own dimension, Silver was back in his own time, and the Chaotix were doing their usual detective things. Oh well, even though it was just us three, I knew we could still get some serious business done.

Just then the base's alarm went off. Eggman was obviously aware of our presence, and the blaring klaxon would surely bring his robot army running. It wasn't like he didn't know we were coming to bust Cream out of that tower to begin with. But now that he knew we were here, I began wondering what new toys the good doctor might send my way this time.

Up ahead, I saw that the headquarters' front gates were closing. If Eggy thought _ they _ could keep me out, he would be as wrong as he is guaranteed to lose. But these gates were a good thirty feet tall. No problem. Except there was just a tiny little challenge to clear first: three E-30 Laser Tanks and a swarm of Buzz Bombers. It looked like Eggman was up to his old tricks again. I know he once had an E-100 series a long time back, and there's actually still a surviving member of that series: E-123 Omega. He works with Shadow and Rouge now, so I'm glad he decided working for Eggman was not the answer.

But I've always wondered why Eggman never did numbers under 100. After how many years, he had finally gotten around to that. I never envisioned him as a procrastinator, but still… He'd been working on these robots and designs since the Lost Hex incident, if I recall correctly.

But enough on the E-Series for now. Let's just say the Buzz Bomber swarm picked the wrong night to get some fresh evening air. I curled up tight, and bounced myself toward the first Badnik in that swarm. Concentrating, I ricocheted from bot to bot until all the Buzz Bombers were destroyed. Various animals popped out of them and scurried away. I still think that using animals such as Flickies is inhumane. Just what does Eggman get out of using animals to power robots?

I was so busy watching the animals that I almost didn't see the wall-mounted missile launchers firing at me. Snapping back to reality, I decided to lead them on a merry chase. I let those missiles pursue me while I kept an eye on the Laser Tanks that started shooting at me. Taking a quick look back, I counted six missiles chasing me. What to do with them…

I increased my speed, and was mildly impressed that the missiles were able to keep up with me. But then again, they were just missiles. Three of them crashed behind me as a result of my epic moves. But that still left three others.

I narrowly avoided some more Laser Tank fire, and thought to let the missiles hit them, but then I saw another potential target: an approaching group of Motobugs numbering about three dozen. I decided the missiles were for them instead. I ran right through the midst of them, zigzagging to avoid hitting any, and quickly stopped to watch the show. As expected, the remaining three missiles collided with the Motobugs, destroying them on the spot. The only robots left standing now were the Laser Tanks.

There were only three of them, armed with heavy laser blasters. Now you're wondering how I know their names. Well, a while back, we kicked off a raid of Eggman's base, and discovered a list of robots under the E-Series. This kinda surprised us, considering the original E-100 series was long retired. Eggy wouldn't be making _ that _ mistake again. From what I heard, they couldn't even find the right frog on their first real mission!

Once we downloaded the data onto Tails' handy-dandy Miles Electric, data on some of those robots was available, while others were classified. Their data was either encrypted, or showed up as silhouettes. I could have sworn one of the silhouettes looked like an octopus, which is mondo scary considering my intense hydrophobia.

Back in the present, the tanks continued firing at me. Eyeing the gates, I knew a thirty-foot jump would easily land me in Eggman's front yard, but where would the fun be in that? I could easily destroy the Laser Tanks on my way in. But first, the missile launchers. A quick check revealed that they were reloading. Not that I cared, though. I figured by the time they were finished loading, I'd be long gone.

The E-Series, from the little I know of them, were typically larger than the standard-issue Badniks I was used to, which made them bulkier and slower as well. Good for me, though, because I found the perfect way to scale the wall and destroy the tanks at the same time.

I vaulted myself, Olympic gymnast-style, from tank to tank, and propelled myself clear over that wall. The sound of explosions outside the gate signaled three more destroyed robots, courtesy of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Now that I was in, I contemplated where to head next. It wasn't like I hadn't been there before. In fact, Tails had made a map of the fortress with his Miles Electric a while back, so I basically knew my way around. But right now, it looked like Eggman went through the trouble of preparing a welcoming committee for me. How considerate. But they were more like a goodbye committee. Goodbye to _ them_, that is.

I was just about to spin-dash the Flickies out of them (literally) when I heard this metallic stomping noise. No normal Badnik was capable of that kind of ruckus, so I guessed it was another one of those E-Series robots. And I was right. Three giant robots were approaching me. Before I knew it, they had activated their jetpacks and were surrounding me. Of course. I should have known Eggman would have his E-12 Behemoths on duty. But then again, they were disposable robots, and I was more than happy to take out Eggy's trash for him.

One of the Behemoths aimed its arm at me, but I knew better than to stand in the way of an impending laser blast. I leaped out from among them as its arm fired an impressively large laser, creating a massive scorching hole. Turning back, I saw that the Behemoth that tried to blast me had instead torched its other two friends. Sonic 1, Eggman 0. Actually, a bit more than that, if you count the Laser Tanks and Badniks I destroyed on the way here.

Uh-oh. Looks like I had that last Behemoth mad. It fired up its booster rockets and started to propel itself toward me. That's when I decided to juice it loose. As expected, the giant robot had decided to play tag with me. It was fast, but I was definitely faster. A quick glance up, and I could see the Tornado in the distance. And it was _ mondo _ occupied. Dozens of Buzz Bombers were swarming around Tails' aircraft. I decided to rest assured that Tails had a device he could use to deactivate them. If not… well, I could always step in, but I trusted my buddy enough to figure out something on his own.

I was so busy looking ahead that I almost didn't see the numerous Egg Pawns in front of me! I chided myself to maybe look where I was going. Then I thought perhaps the Behemoth's strategy was to herd me into them. Either way, those Egg Pawns wouldn't stand a chance against me. But I had better ideas…

Breaking right immediately before I would have run into the Egg Pawns, I spotted a tunnel in the distance. I made a beeline for it, and, once inside, stopped briefly to see if the Behemoth would follow me. It had a difficult time turning around, but it did. When it started charging right toward me again, I decided to keep the merry chase going.

Hopefully Cream wouldn't have to wait long before I arrive. The poor girl had been stuck there for nearly two hours now, too long in my book. After Eggman took the other Chaos Emeralds from us, we had found the last Emerald (the red one, for those who are wondering). Earlier tonight, Tails, Amy, Cream, and I were gathered together at Cream and Vanilla's place to discuss how to best infiltrate Eggman's base and get the Chaos Emeralds back. The spooky thing is, Eggman had been rather quiet of late. He hadn't even so much as revealed what he intended to use the Emeralds for. But whatever it was, I knew it could be nothing but bad.

So we had just finished supper (I, of course, had chili dogs; don't judge me), when several Egg Pawns burst through the door. Ordering everyone to stay in their seats, they searched the entire house for the Emerald, even nearly overturning the furniture in their reckless plight for it. I tried to fight them, but was secured to my seat by an electric rope they handily brought along. When they couldn't find the Emerald, they decided their best course of action was to bodily lift Cream out of her seat and drag her out the door. The others secured the rest of us to our seats using the same electric rope. I was sitting at such an angle that I could only see half of what was going on outside. But what I did see made me really wish I was untied. They had placed Cream inside a dropship-like robot (an E-31 Capsule Carrier, as I later learned), and shipped her off to Eggman's fort. It took me a little bit, but I managed to break free. After freeing the others, I declared that we needed to get over there and free her right now. Tails got the Chaos Emerald out of hiding and handed it to me before taking Amy to the Tornado. Thus began our mission.

And that just about takes us back to the present. I was still running down that tunnel with the Behemoth tailing me. Judging by my surroundings, I was in the giant circular hallway encompassing Eggman's underground factory. Sure, I could easily take the Behemoth inside and take down the whole place, but not with Cream at stake. The factory was partially underneath the fort, which was a risk I was definitely not taking. So I instead opted for locating a suitable exit to this seemingly endless hallway.

And I had to find it fast. A second Behemoth seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of me. At last, I spotted an opening on my left. I zipped through it, and not a moment too soon, for the Behemoths collided with each other, going up in a fiery explosion.

Definitely not enough to blow up the factory. That was the good news. The bad news was that I knew there were still a few Behemoths left in Eggy's arsenal. But there was more good news to make up for that. Tails had activated a container of custom-brewed EMP gas he had equipped the Tornado with, which was causing the Buzz Bombers to short out and drop like flies. Good old Tails. He had just given me the perfect projectiles to take out the platoon of Egg Pawns in front of me with.

Leaping into the air, I kicked the lifeless Buzz Bombers, one by one, into the Egg Pawns below, taking them out. Those that didn't go down quite so easily met their demise, courtesy of my signature home attack move. Landing on the ground, I dusted my gloves. Another job well done. Turning toward the fort, I decided that the fun and games ended here. It was time to take on Baldy McNosehair.

But the moment I sped toward the fortress head-on, I wish I hadn't.

I took a step too far, finding out too late that I had inadvertently triggered a hidden spring trap. I was too focused on bashing bots that I didn't count on the place being booby-trapped. Now I'm used to springs and stuff, just not in the wrong places. I was flung into the air, watching as the ground became sky and vice versa, over and over. I looked down (or was it up?) for a safe place to land. But nothing's safe in Eggman's base, unfortunately. Another Behemoth came from my right (left?) and delivered a powerful blow to my abdomen, sending me flying once again. And, horror of horrors, I felt the Chaos Emerald slip out of my possession. I heard Tails shouting out my name, but he need not worry. As you long-time Sonic fans may know, I'm super resilient, and it takes a lot more than that to break my bones. (Besides, isn't that reserved for sticks and stones? Sorry. Gallows humor. Not that I'm going to die now, but still.)

I landed on my back outside the base. It would have been my feet, but the suddenness of the events and the wind getting knocked out of me… yeah.

Turning my head, I saw that a fresh batch of Laser Tanks were driving outside the gate. They were blasting at Tails, but they were also turning toward me in an attempt to turn me into supersonic roadkill. That was unexpected, Eggman. You never cease to amaze me…

…and yes, that was sarcasm, brought to you by Sonic the Hedgehog.

* * *

**Eggman's base - Outside — August 19; 10:53 — Third-person POV**

Sonic's misfortune did not escape Tails' attention. The fox did not expect the Behemoths to suddenly overpower him. Had Sonic not activated the hidden spring trap, he might have had a chance at defeating them. But what's done is done. Eggman was a tricky foe, and Tails knew it took more than speed to defeat him.

But Sonic appeared to be winded by the sudden turn of events. Tails knew that dire situations called for dire measures. He decided on activating the Power Ring rocket stored inside his plane, the Tornado 2. The Power Rings were artifacts of great power, obtained from a lake in the middle of the Great Forest.

Since Sonic and Tails left the Freedom Fighters a while back, they knew they couldn't part ways with the rings forever. So every once in a while, Sonic visited Knothole Village to pick up the rings which formed in the lake once every twenty-four hours. Over time, he and his friends had formed an impressive collection of rings.

But why were these rings so important? After Eggman launched a coup and succeeded in conquering the old city of Mobotropolis, the late Sir Charles Hedgehog, who was Sonic's Uncle Chuck, had invented the Power Rings, genetically coding them so that only Sonic could use them. The rings greatly enhanced Sonic's speed and strength, and they had aided the hedgehog time and again in foiling Eggman's plans.

Fortunately, Eggman never discovered the location of Knothole Village, and, in essence, never found the source of the Power Rings. Since the war ended, the Freedom Fighters disbanded, but they never forgot about the rings which gave Sonic great power.

Such power was needed tonight.

However, just as the two-tailed genius was about to press the button to send Sonic some well-needed aid, a Laser Tank took aim at the plane and struck its undercarriage with deadly accuracy. The plane rocked with the impact, causing his sole passenger Amy Rose to cry out in alarm from the second seat. As the resulting fire began to spread to the Tornado's tail, she began to search for the fire extinguisher they usually brought with them for such emergencies, but it wasn't to be found.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Tails, we forgot the fire extinguisher!"

A sinking feeling befell the young kitsune. "I was in such a hurry to join Sonic that I forgot to bring it!" Tails rarely made this mistake. "I'm gonna land as soon as I get the ring to Sonic. Just hang in there."

"Okay…" she whispered, hoping the damage wasn't critical enough to jeopardize the entire mission.

Tails jammed down the button to launch the ring. A compartment in the belly of the Tornado opened, and a small rocket containing a Power Ring was jettisoned out. Its engine ignited, and it sped toward Sonic.

Tails and Amy had offered to cover for Sonic while he infiltrated Eggman's base to rescue Cream, but with the plane damaged, Tails could only hope that Sonic could make it through the base on his own. If not… then he hoped they would survive this ordeal so they could aid him.

The sound of a small explosion could be heard in the distance.

"Amy, can you see if he got the ring?" Tails asked.

Amy looked behind her, straining to see through the blinding smoke and flames. There was an unmistakable golden glimmer in the hand of her beloved Sonic.

"I think so… Yes!" she answered.

"Good," Tails responded. "I'm going to see if I can land in one piece."

Looking at the monitor, he realized that the fire damage was significantly worse than he thought. The engines were overheating, the rear wheel was heavily damaged, and now the steering mechanism was damaged as well. This was going to be a close one for sure.

"Brace yourself for a crash landing!" Tails warned Amy.

"Is it that bad?" she shouted over the engines.

"I'm afraid so! The steering and landing gear have been damaged."

Suddenly Amy pointed ahead. "Tails, look out!"

Tails gasped. A huge rock loomed right in the middle of the Tornado's crash path. With no steering and no basic control whatsoever, it seemed there was no possible way to avoid the boulder in time.

But there was one way to stay alive.

"Brace yourself; I'm going to eject us!"

Amy nodded and prepared herself for her seat to launch itself into the air. But it never happened, as both the Tornado's occupants witnessed three life-saving things.

A red flash.

A spiked fist.

And a smashed boulder.

Tails and Amy inwardly breathed sighs of relief as the Tornado bumped along the ground, moving quickly past where the boulder was. Tails did not like the sound the plane made as its tail end slid along the grass. They finally slowed to a complete stop a good thirty feet from where the boulder once lay. Neither of them spoke on account of their increased heart rates and their adrenaline rush wearing off. Complete silence filled the air, with the only sounds being the flames licking the plane's tail, and the tearing apart of metal over at Eggman's fortress. Tails could now rest assured Sonic got the ring.

Knuckles the Echidna caught up with them from the right side of the plane. "You all right?" he asked.

Tails turned to Knuckles and smiled. "Yeah, now that you're here," he replied. "Thanks for the save."

Knuckles nodded curtly. "It's what I do."

Tails disembarked from the craft and carefully pulled Amy to safety. He was disheartened that he had to abandon his burning craft, but lives and Chaos Emeralds were at stake. He could always fix the Tornado later.

"Where _ were _ you this whole time?" Amy asked, not out of anger, but curiosity.

"About that…" Knuckles sounded hesitant. "I kinda didn't tell you guys, but I thought I sensed a Chaos Emerald near Radical Highway."

"And you left without telling us?" an incredulous Amy asked. Knuckles didn't answer immediately, so she decided to take that as a yes. Knuckles was always the kind of guy to do things his way.

"Turns out, there never was a Chaos Emerald out there. Eggman had gotten there first and was using it to taunt me. He tricked me _ again_."

Tails facepalmed, while Amy sighed in annoyance. Knuckles was consistently gullible and prone to constantly falling victim to Eggman's tricks. His friends thought he would have gotten over this during the war. Some things never change, though…

The echidna chose to ignore the air of annoyance emanating from his friends. "As far as I know, that's the only Emerald Eggman has in his possession," he continued.

"Hate to break it to you, Knuckles, but it's not," Tails corrected.

Knuckles was taken aback. "What?! Then how many does he have?"

"He's taken the six we had, and tonight he's kidnapped Cream and Cheese as ransom for the seventh," answered Amy.

"I heard," Knuckles answered. "About the kidnapping part, I mean. Sonic told me."

Tails turned to face the fortress in the distance. "Well, it won't do us any good standing around and doing nothing," Tails pointed out. "We need to help Sonic."

Amy pulled her personal weapon, her trusty Piko Piko Hammer, out from Hammerspace. "Ready when you are, Commander!"

"Oh, I'm ready all right. Ready for revenge." Knuckles crashed his namesakes together. "Stay close. I'm not in the mood to deal with unnecessary casualties tonight."

Tails and Amy nodded before the three of them bolted toward the fortress. They could still hear Sonic continue his assault on the robot army.

_ Go get 'em, Sonic, _ thought Knuckles. _ We're right behind you. _

* * *

**Eggman's base - Command center — August 19; 10:54 PM — Third-person POV**

Within the walls of Eggman's lair, robots of many shapes and sizes were moving about, heading to different posts or out into combat. They would certainly be needed tonight. The tower and its underlying factory were home to thousands of Eggman's mechanical servants. And their creation and duties were personally overseen by Dr. Ivo Robotnik himself from his command center at the top of the tower.

He was there at this moment with his two hench-bots, E-01 Decoe and E-02 Bocoe. While the former was colored yellow and was tall with a tall head, the latter was grayish, rounded, and short. The three sat in silence as they watched Sonic destroying Eggman's own creations on the giant viewscreen. The large digital clock behind them read 10:54 PM. Eggman was usually in bed for the night by now, but since he had a prisoner with him, he decided to stay up in case Sonic would immediately come after him, which he did.

In the corner of the room, Cream and Cheese were confined to a capsule which had been deposited by Eggman's Capsule Carrier. Needless to say, they were scared and wanted to go home badly; their slight whimpering signified it, but it fell on deaf ears. This was not their first time in captivity, but it was still quite frightening nonetheless.

In the center of the room was a giant machine of some sort. There was a tube that led to the ceiling, as well as a master switch, various controls in the console, and slots for the seven Chaos Emeralds.

Eggman let out an exasperated groan as the screen lit up brightly. While he was no stranger to seeing that hedgehog power himself up with a Power Ring, he still couldn't figure out how they were genetically encoded for his use only. He had finally given up on it years ago.

"Gah!" he exclaimed. "Why must that infernal hedgehog always interfere with my plans? Every single time!"

Cream replied to the doctor's rhetorical question from the corner. "You know why just as much as I do," she replied.

Eggman swiveled his chair around to face her. "Oh? And why is that, Creamy-dreamy?" he asked tauntingly.

The young rabbit cringed. That nickname sounded so _ wrong _ coming from him.

Cream looked him square in the eye. "Because you are a bad man, Dr. Eggman, and Mr. Sonic only wants to stop you from doing all the bad things you like to do."

"Chao chao!" Cream's Chao friend Cheese agreed.

"A bad man, eh?" marveled Eggman. "You haven't even seen half of 'bad'!"

Turning back to the screen, he said, "Well, Sonic has no chance of stopping me tonight. Not when I'm holding all the good cards."

He rubbed his hands together in glee. "And I'll further secure my victory right now. Decoe, Bocoe, lock down the entire base. I don't want to deal with rodent infestations tonight."

"Affirmative, Dr. Eggman," both robots responded. Bocoe selected which areas should be locked down (in this case, all of them), and Decoe pressed the "LOCK DOWN" button. In moments they could hear the sound of every interior door closing and sealing themselves.

"The tower has been sealed, Doctor," Decoe announced.

"No one can enter or leave with the sole exception of your own robots," Bocoe added.

"Excellent," The rotund doctor stated while fiddling with his mustache. "Let's see that blue eyesore try to break in now."

Just then there was a knock at the door to the command center.

"But we just sealed it…" sighed Decoe.

"Check who it is," ordered Eggman without moving from his spot at the screen.

After pressing a few buttons at the console, Bocoe activated the surveillance menu. "It's Bokkun, Doctor," he reported.

"Let him in."

Bocoe headed back over to the lockdown console and navigated the map until he found the command center. Tapping the door icon, he turned around and watched it open. Decoe and Eggman also turned as Eggman's E-03 Messenger Robo unit named Bokkun flew into the room. A shiny red gem was in his hands.

Eggman stood up. He needed to stretch, since he had been seated in his command chair for most of the night. "Ah, the seventh Chaos Emerald, right on time," he said as Bokkun handed it to him.

"Sonic was carrying this Chaos Emerald until one of your Behemoths 'encouraged' him to donate it to us," Bokkun joked. "Looks like he won't need it anymore!"

"Let's hope you're right, Bokkun," Eggman mused as he turned to his giant machine. He did not see Bokkun secretly wink at Cream in the corner, which made her uncomfortable. While unspoken, there seemed to be a little _ something _ between them…

"Now that all seven Chaos Emeralds are at last in my possession," he stated, "nothing can stop me from putting my grand scheme into motion!"

"W-What are you going to do with the Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Eggman?" Cream nervously asked.

"I was wondering when you'd ask that," Eggman said, a little too much glee in his tone. "You see this machine here? I've been working on it for the past two months. All I need to do is insert this last Chaos Emerald, throw the switch, and voila! Every single living organism within one hundred miles of my lair, excluding myself, will be turned into my cold metal slaves. Even you, Cream, will serve me in a new body!"

Now Cream was truly frightened. She had never been directly threatened with roboticization before, and knew that she could not possibly avoid the process without help.

It took her a moment to find her voice. "Y-you'll n-n-never get away with th-this, Doctor Eggman! M-Mr. Sonic will-"

"Sonic can't stop me, remember?" he gloated, even though Cream knew this was not true. "I can't get away with this? Oh, _ please_. I've gotten away with _ much _ worse, like, I don't know… _ feeding the Chaos Emeralds to a giant water god capable of destroying an entire city?!_"

This did nothing to alleviate the pure fear emanating from Cream and Cheese. "B-b-but I don't want to become a robot!"

"Chao chao chao!" echoed Cheese.

"Oh, don't worry," Eggman "reassured". "The process is entirely painless — that is, unless you choose to defy me after your roboticization. Oh that's right, you _ can't_." He let out an evil laugh before approaching the cage. "Your precious Sonic the Hedgehog just relinquished the last Chaos Emerald. Isn't he generous?"

He threw another glance at the screen, where Sonic appeared to be surrounded by more robots. "Are you _ sure _ he can save you now? You know he can't. Soon you will all be roboticized. And what fun that will be, given I have never roboticized a Chao before."

"You leave Cheese out of this!" Cream demanded.

Attempting to hide his mirth, Eggman started back to his seat. "Sonic the Hedgehog will be terminated," he stated matter-of-factly. "Count on it."

* * *

**Eggman's base - Outside — August 18; 10:54 PM — Sonic's POV**

Okay, so a couple E-Series robots thought they could take me down just by surrounding me. Big deal. I had a Power Ring, and I wasn't afraid to use it. If Eggy was watching me now, and I know he was, he'd be in for a big surprise.

I leaped out from among them, then proceeded to execute homing attacks on each of them, destroying them instantly. One of the Behemoths grabbed me with both its hands, but since I knew hedgehog sandwiches weren't particularly appetizing, I used both hands and feet to push the robot's hands off of me, then proceed to spin right through its core, destroying it immediately.

All the robots in that area were completely demolished. With no one left to play with, I decided it was time to take down the Eggman.

I looked up at the tower. Now obviously Eggman has been prepared for me, so I ruled out the front door — or unfortunate lack thereof. Even the lower walls were most likely heavily guarded. So I figured the best way in was through one of the underhanging skylights. That would mean scaling a vertical wall and breaking glass, which would surely alert those inside. But hey, no risk is too big for me!

So I started running up the tower's wall (being able to exceed the force of gravity has its advantages). Two seconds later, I reached the top. Even though the floodlights were blinding, I immediately executed a spin and broke through the skylight.

Great. Apparently I had just landed in one of the eight aerial Badnik launch bays. Fortunately it was near-empty, since they had launched nearly all of their Buzzbombers in an attempt to do me in. There were still a few left, which I immediately got rid of without breaking a sweat.

Then there was the door to the upper hallway. Eggman had obviously sealed off the entire fort. Big surprise there. I smirked. Nothing a spin dash couldn't penetrate!

And now for the home stretch. The door to Eggman's command center was right there. Of course, it was sealed off like the rest of the fortress. I was just about to break through the door when I heard the muffled voices of Eggman and Cream on the other side.

"N-no, Doctor Eggman," Cream was saying. She was clearly panicked. "I d-didn't do it."

"Bokkun doesn't lie, Cream," Eggman replied. "That was clearly a secret wink you just did. This means you have an accomplice in our midst. Bokkun, search the entire room for our little friend, whoever he or she may be!"

Yikes. Things were looking mondo bad for Cream. Just then another metallic voice (Bocoe or Decoe, maybe?) spoke, but it was too far away for me to hear what he was saying.

"What?!" Eggman replied. "He's here?!"

This was my cue to make my encore appearance.

I spun through the door, destroying it completely with some effort. There was the fat man himself, with a shocked expression on his face. Cream and Cheese were relieved that I came, and Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun… well, they're _ robots_.

"Mr. Sonic!" Cream exclaimed.

"You managed to breach my lockdown system," Eggman was incredulous. "How?"

"You know me," I smirked, "always able to dodge whatever you throw at me. But enough joking around. I demand that you release Cream and surrender the Chaos Emeralds immediately!"

"One or the other, Sonic," Eggman chided, wagging a finger. "You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either way, you will be roboticized, along with every single living organism within one hundred miles of this place."

That caught me off guard for a moment. I thought roboticization was behind him. Guess I was wrong. "Roboticized."

"Yes, Sonic. Roboticized. You might be interested to know that is only the prototype model. The finished model will _ roboticize the whole world_."

No way, no how, would I ever let Eggman do that. A world crawling with evil robots is not a pretty one, let me tell you.

Eggman was just about to place the final Chaos Emerald into the slot with the other six when I snatched it from him in one swift move. "I like my organic body, thanks!" I taunted.

Eggman looked from his hand where the Chaos Emerald had just been. His gaze shifted to me, his glasses masking the hatred in his eyes. "What did they teach you about stealing?!" he exclaimed.

Turning to Bocoe and Decoe, who were sitting at the console, the good doctor gave an order. "Beam an E-13 into the room. I want this hedgehog good and gone!"

"Right, Dr. Eggman!" both robots responded.

"I still wonder why you ditched Orbot and Cubot for those two bozos," I said. 

"'Ditched' is such a strong word," Eggman said. "Those two were incompetent, so I put them in storage and built these two. They are far superior and can actually fight for themselves."

I smirked. "What makes you think _ they _ won't be incompetent either?"

Before Eggman could answer, a robot began to materialize in the room. It was slightly smaller than a Laser Tank, but still looked pretty agile and powerful.

"Meet E-13 Guardian," Eggman introduced the robot. "You'll find that fighting in close quarters is risky, especially when hostages are involved!" He beckoned to Cream. "E-13, get that hedgehog and give me the Chaos Emerald he has!"

"Heh. If you can catch me!" I taunted.

I started running laps around the room as the Guardian began firing at me. Eggman was right: closed spaces are risky, and I sure don't want Cream getting hurt.

"Not as easy as you thought, eh, Sonic?" Eggman said.

I ducked under a laser shower before starting to run again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bokkun trying to hide behind Decoe's seat.

"Decoe! Cover me!" he cried.

Decoe appeared confused. "I thought you liked interfering in fights," he said.

"But this is Eggman's base, and I don't wanna ruin his project!"

"…Point taken."

"Oh, Sonic~?" Eggman called. "I'll bet you want to know that one of my Laser tanks shot down the Tornado when you were using your Power Ring. Backup isn't coming anytime soon."

I realized that the Guardian was firing at me almost ceaselessly, which gave me an idea. I stopped running directly in front of Eggman, and the Guardian turned its guns on both of us.

"What are you doing, Sonic?!" cried Eggman. "I didn't think you would stoop so low as to commit cold-blooded murder like this!"

"Just testing your reaction time," I amended as I leaped out of the way. No way would I actually _ kill _ Eggman; I only wanted to bring him to justice.

The Guardian seemed to be a bit slow on the draw. Just as it was about to fire, a crunching sound came from the doorway. I watched as the hole grew bigger, and Knuckles, Amy, and Tails barged into the room.

It was good to know Tails and Amy survived the crash. And Knuckles was back! Hadn't seen _ him _ in a while.

"Welcome to the party!" I greeted. Turning to Knuckles, I added "And hey, I see you brought the _ punch_."

"Very funny, Sonic," was all he said before he locked eyes with Eggman, revenge on his mind.

"I should have known you rodents would rise from the wreckage of your plane like the phoenixes you're not," muttered Eggman.

Knuckles ignored Eggman (wise move). Instead he gave an order. "Amy, get Cream and Cheese out of here. Tails, get the Chaos Emeralds out of that machine. And Eggman… don't do anything."

"Don't do anything!" Eggman scoffed. "Why would I quit when my ultimate plan is about to be set in motion? Don't you know what this is?"

I saw Tails reaching out for the Chaos Emeralds plugged into the machine. "Careful buddy, that could be-"

Before I could say "dangerous" (and it _ was_, believe me), an electric jolt jumped from the machine to Tails' hand, causing him to yelp and leap back.

"Did I forget to mention the Chaos Roboticizer has its own self-defense system to discourage thieves?" Eggman brought up.

"Well, this changes things," Tails mused.

Meanwhile Amy approached the capsule that Cream and Cheese were trapped in. She brandished her signature Piko Piko Hammer. "Close your eyes, Cream," she said. "I'm getting you out of here."

Cream and Cheese did as they were told, and Amy smashed the top of the capsule off. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the room. Thousands of tiny shards fell around Cream, but thankfully none of them made their mark.

"Don't just stand there! Stop them!" yelled Eggman to the Guardian.

"C'mon, you two. We're getting out of here," Amy said as gently as she could muster as she took Cream's hand. The latter carried Cheese in her other hand as they ran back for the hole which they came from.

"Thank you, Miss Amy," thanked Cream as they left the room. The Guardian tried to follow but was brutally rocketed into the wall, courtesy of Knuckles' fist. The impact was strong enough that the Guardian exploded on impact, raining shrapnel everywhere. We flinched, but the shrapnel miraculously didn't hit anyone. But it did hit _ something_.

"My machine!" Eggman cried, before quickly calming down. "At least it can take a beating and keep on functioning."

"It won't be functioning for much-"

"Yoink!" Bokkun exclaimed, cutting me off mid-sentence, as he snatched the Chaos Emerald out of my grasp. I couldn't believe I got sidetracked like that. Bokkun dropped the Chaos Emerald into Eggman's open hand.

"Seven Emeralds, millions of new robots, and one all-powerful Dr. Eggman!" crowed the fat doctor as he headed toward his machine.

"This is bad," I muttered. This was going to be close.

Tails rushed over to me. "I could try to disable the Chaos Roboticizer's defense mechanism, but it would take too much time!"

I smirked. "Then I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way!"

"You can't stop me now, Sonic!" laughed Eggman as he placed the last Chaos Emerald into its slot. "Five more seconds and the next thing you'll say is 'All hail Dr. Eggman!'"

The guy was insane. For a doctor, he sure could _ use _ one. Turning to Tails and Knuckles, we gave a secret nod, which meant that we were basically thinking the same thing. Instantaneously we bolted toward Eggman. Time seemed to slow down, as if we entered bullet time. Would he pull the lever and roboticize the entire region? Or would we take down the doctor and save the day? Two possible outcomes, one result. Which would it be?

"Too late, hedgehog."

Unfortunately, Eggman acted first. He pulled the lever a split second before we tackled him to the ground. It looked like we lost. The machine started glowing intensely. But then something happened that I least expected.

As the Chaos Roboticizer glowed, it also began to shake, rattle, and roll. The Guardian's lasers and shrapnel must have done a number on Eggy's new toy. Then I was blinded by an extremely bright white glow. Could this be? Did Eggman really cause–

I didn't have enough time to think as the whiteness turned to blackness. I landed on something hard and lost all sense of consciousness.

My name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. And this is the story of my journey to another universe.

* * *

**??? — August 19; 10:55 PM — ? POV**

"That was a beautiful ending," our maid Ella sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue as the movie's credits began to roll.

My grandfather Chuck nodded as he set down his tub of popcorn, which was now mostly kernels. "I know. They couldn't have gotten anyone better to play Lucinda Hart. I'm so proud of Lindsey!"

Our butler Tanaka rose from his seat and helped Ella tidied up our popcorn bowls. "A better proposal I've never seen, except for Mr. and Mrs. Thorndyke's wedding."

"What did you think, Chris?" Grandpa asked me.

"I think this was Mom's best acting yet," I commented, "and I'm not even a romance fan!"

"It's nice to switch things up every once in a while," Grandpa said. "That way everyone gets a fair share of their favorite movies."

One of the great things about movie nights is that whenever one of Mom's movies is coming out soon, we get to watch it two weeks before it even premieres in theaters. And that's why I love being a Thorndyke.

Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Christopher Thorndyke. I'm twelve years old, and I attend Oakview Elementary School. Summer vacation is ending, and I'll be going into sixth grade this Monday.

I live in a big mansion (appropriately called Thorndyke Mansion), which I think is grander than a lot of the multi-million dollar mansions in Beverly Hills. It's got gardens with well-trimmed hedges, a fountain, and a giant four-car garage. Inside, we have over a dozen bedrooms and bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, a grand foyer with marble floors, a double staircase, an intercom, and a high-tech security system.

I live here with our maid Ella, our butler Mr. Tanaka, and my Grandpa Chuck. Ella makes the best recipes I've ever had, even giving some of the fancy diners a run for their money. Tanaka is well-trained in martial arts, and is very patient with us, even in trying times. Grandpa is a scientist who has his own laboratory set up in the room above the detached garage.

We get visitors all the time here. Our home has been host to people such as the Kardashians, Bill Gates, Stephen King, even the President and kings and rulers of foreign nations.

We had just finished watching _ The Winds of Change_, Mom's latest blockbuster. In the movie, the lead actor's character had run into tough economic times, and Mom's character loved him so much that she offered to work to get him back on his feet.

"Did you hear that Lindsey's going to be in another romance movie?" Ella asked as she tossed the trash into the garbage can in the kitchen.

"No," Tanaka answered. "What is it called?"

"_Valencia_."

"Interesting," the butler commented. "Is it its own movie, or does it tie in with _ The Winds of Change_?"

"It's its own movie," replied Ella, turning on the faucet to wash the bowls. "It's going to be a Victorian steampunk setting."

"That is… unique," Tanaka said.

"Isn't it though," Ella agreed.

"Oh, that kinda reminds me," Grandpa started, "Chris, you might be interested to know that she's also going to be in the next _ Elites _ movie."

"Really?!" This was awesome. _ The Elites _ was my favorite movie series (Star Wars was a close second), and with Mom in the third installment, _ Dawn of Spectrum_, how could it get any better?

"Surprise," Grandpa beamed. "I hear the producers are going to plug Starship Soft in this movie."

"Cool," I commented.

Starship Soft was my dad's mega software company that owns nearly seventy percent of the world's technology industry. To say it could give Bill Gates a run for his money would be an understatement.

Having finished cleaning up, Ella and Tanaka left the kitchen. "Are you excited to see you father tomorrow?" Ella asked me.

"I almost forgot!" I responded. "How long has it been already? Wait… I think we last saw him on… Christmas. Am I right?"

Ella nodded. It had been eight months since I last saw my dad in person. He was a busy man who was rarely home.

Just then Tanaka's smart phone rang from within his pocket. Removing it, he turned on the screen and glanced at the caller's name.

"It's the master," he reported before placing the phone to his ear. "Mr. Thorndyke," he greeted.

That must have been a big coincidence. We were just talking about Dad before he called. I wondered why he was calling tonight when he wasn't due to come until tomorrow. I just hoped his visit wasn't cancelled again.

"I see," Tanaka spoke again, slightly disheartened. "…Two weeks? … Very well. The Thorndyke family await your presence. Sayonara."

He hung up before turning to me. "My deepest apologies, Master Chris, but your father will not be able to make it tomorrow. He has agreed to reschedule his visit for two weeks' time."

Chuck turned to my crestfallen face. "Don't be down, Chris," he encouraged. "At least your mother's still coming this weekend."

"Yeah…" Of course, this was always subject to change.

Dessert was a blur, due to both dejection and exhaustion. I wanted to see Dad badly, and now it looked like I had to wait even longer. Bedtime soon arrived, and, after brushing my teeth and washing my face, I crawled into bed. Thus ended another day in the life of Chris Thorndyke.

I had somewhat expected Dad to be delayed in his coming. There were lots of times where one or both of my parents said they would come at a certain time, but because of job complications and the like, they were always forced to push their arrival days back for weeks on end. I had gone through this routine for as long as I could remember, which was practically my whole life.

My dad was the CEO of Starship Soft, which was a massive corporation dealing in computer parts and various other technologies. Ever since Dad took over from Grandpa as its CEO, he had been able to successfully purchase smaller businesses, and thus branch out into other industries as well. Needless to say, Starship was a booming business. To work there was every computer lover's dream.

My mom was a famous Hollywood actress who starred in maybe three or more high-budget movies a year. Most of her movies were romance, but she also played in action movies, and even provided voiceovers for various cartoons such as _ DupliCate _ and _ Fish in a Barrel_. In fact, she was asked to play a role in one of the _ Avengers _ movies, but had to turn it down because of her busy schedule.

When I was younger, I used to cry when my parents were unable to come home, but now that I was a preteen, I had grown past that stage for the most part. I had learned to respect their busy schedules. They were only ever home twice a year at least, sometimes even less than that. Even though they had different jobs and almost never saw each other, they were still made for each other. It was almost like Romeo and Juliet, but without any tragedies or fighting.

That left me alone at home with Grandpa, Ella, and Mr. Tanaka. They were the closest thing to family that I had (Grandpa _ is _ family, but you know what I mean). I may have been perhaps the richest kid in the world, but I was still lonely, and not just because my parents weren't around.

Every time I went to school, I somewhat expected people to like me, but that was probably only because my family was famous. I haven't made any friends ever since kindergarten, and anyone who had the potential of becoming my friend eventually moved, many of them out of state.

The years went by, and I found myself becoming increasingly introverted, almost to the point of being socially awkward. The only reason some kids hung around me at school was simply because I was a celebrity's kid. Being popular wasn't everything. They had no idea who I was on the inside. Outside, I may have been a casually-dressed kid and son of two entrepreneurs. But on the inside, I was a poor soul yearning for someone who understood me — someone I could hang out with. Someone I could call…

…a friend.

I was just starting to drift off to sleep when I saw what I thought was a shooting star in the distance. It was brief, but undeniable.

I sat up in bed as an idea came to me. What if I actually made a wish for friends? I know, it sounded really crazy at the time, but it was probably crazy enough to work. There was only one way to see if it did, right?

Lifting the blankets aside, I slipped out of bed and walked over to my window. As I looked up into the night sky, I searched my mind for the shooting star rhyme Ella taught me a long time ago. To anyone else, it may have seemed too juvenile for someone my age, but I didn't care. I had to know if it was going to work.

I cast my gaze to the night sky and began:

"_Star light, star bright _

_ First star I see tonight, _

_ I wish I may, I wish I might, _

_ Have this wish I wish tonight. _

I wish for close genuine friends I can have forever."

The moment I finished speaking, another shooting star sprinted across the moonlit sky. While brief, its appearance sent butterflies to my stomach. Did it actually work…?

There was only one way to find out for sure. I had to wait until morning, but until then, sleep wouldn't come easily.

I climbed back into bed, telling myself to calm down, relax, and breathe slowly. Hey, the shooting star rhyme might not even work, I told myself, but it was definitely worth a try.

Sleep finally washed over me as I thought of being able to finally have a friend.

I had no idea what my wish would eventually entail for me in a few short hours…

* * *

**??? — August 20; 2:32 AM — Sonic's POV**

Man, I must have really been thrown for a loop, 'cause it felt like I had been out cold for quite a while. Last thing I remembered, I was fighting Eggman, trying to stop him from roboticizing the entire region… Now, I was here, wherever 'here' was. The question of the hour was, how could something as artificial as a machine initiate Chaos Control like that? And why did it happen then? On second thought, was it even Chaos Control? It had to have been, even though I had never seen it executed at that scale before.

It felt like I was lying on something hard, so I decided to find out what it was. I slowly opened my eyes, and found that I was lying on smooth pavement… a road, perhaps? How could I have gotten _ here_? I thought Chaos Control was one of those "all in the mind" things. But if I was in the middle of the road, then that meant–

I leapt to my feet and dodged the pair of headlights that came my way, only to find myself directly in the path of another. I kept moving until the cars stopped coming. Now I'm no stranger to traffic. Places like Station Square and Central City are full of it. But here it looked like I created myself a little traffic jam, seeing how all the cars were stopped up like that. I bet the citizens of this town weren't expecting me to drop in the way I did.

Taking a look around, I saw that the drivers and pedestrians were humans, perhaps even Overlanders. No surprise there. I had lots of encounters with 'em in the past. But the thing that got me was what they were doing. They were all staring. Staring at me, as if they'd never seen a Mobian before. That's what really got me.

At this point, the incessant honking, shouting, and even swearing was really starting to get to me. Then I saw something that made this enigma really deepen: a store. Well, it wasn't exactly the store itself so much as the sign above the door.

_ "Station Square Jewelers" _

Now my head was spinning, and not just from feeling lightheaded. How on Mobius could I be in Station Square without the people recognizing me? Furthermore, if my memory serves me correctly, I thought Station Square had been–

"All right, people, clear the scene. This is an investigation zone. Move it."

I turned to the source of the voice. It was one of several human police officers. They were addressing the growing crowd, who, from the looks of things, had been honking and shouting at me for quite a while. Some of the policemen were apologizing to the drivers and pedestrians for the inconvenience, while others were setting up police lines around the perimeter of the intersection.

I took it I was quite a sight for sore eyes here. Not only did it look like they had never seen a Mobian before, but I hadn't seen any sign of any other Mobians since I appeared here, mostly because I hadn't left that cozy little intersection I was in.

I ran out of time to ponder this mystery further, for a few of the officers began to approach me.

"We have a situation here; an unidentified organism is obstructing traffic at 7th and Spruce, over," one of the officers spoke into his radio.

It must have been on loudspeaker, for the voice on the other end was nice and loud. "_Copy that. Is it someone in costume?_"

The officer gave me a once-over. "Negative."

"_Subdue it and bring it to the station,_" the voice replied after a moment of hesitation. "_The researchers at the Station Square Science lab will want to hear about this._"

Whoa. Things just escalated mondo quickly. A _ science lab_?! This practically confirmed my theory that there were no Mobians on this world, or even other alien life for that matter. Good to know I made everyone's day just by showing up on this otherwise dismal planet.

If the officers _ did _ catch me (which I knew they couldn't, since, you know, I'm the fastest thing alive), they would probably experiment on me and run tests like I'm some kind of alien. Man, I tell you, science was always my least favorite subject.

I went from startled to belittled at the next actions of the officers. They began to treat me like I was some kind of animal. Well, technically, I _ am _ an animal, but not _ that _ kind of animal. Anyway, they were coaxing me, something like this:

"Here, big guy… Good boy, wanna come have a ride to the police station?"

They were pretty much _ this _ close to asking me to sit up and beg. I was glad they didn't bring out the clicker and treats.

So anyway, that did it for me. I'm not an animal, and no one on my world treats me as such. Maybe I could jog their memory of me a little bit, yeah?

"Guys! Don't you remember me?" I said.

Nope. Didn't work. Instead, they were taken aback, something I only half expected. Looks like they didn't know I could speak at all, much less speak in their own language. I decided not to say anything more, including my name, as I didn't want to frighten them any more than they probably were already.

I would have made a run for it right then and there, but I didn't because the officers were regrouping, and I wanted to hear what they were discussing so I could act accordingly.

Unfortunately, I couldn't hear much, as their conversation was whispered, but I picked up words such as English, hedgehog, and alien. 

"Focus on the situation at hand," interrupted the police sergeant. He sounded like he had a thick accent of some sort (Which country, I didn't know; I would have to study this world's geography to find out).

"It may not have done us any harm besides causing a traffic jam, but it's still an alien," he continued. "I suggest a way we capture it."

"Coaxing it didn't work," said the one officer who tried coaxing me earlier. "This alien is too intelligent for that."

"Will handcuffs work?" another officer asked. "It looks pretty strong."

"Anything is worth a try," the sergeant replied.

"I'll do it," the first officer volunteered.

One of the amateur officers looked a little nervous. "It won't attack us, will it?"

"Relax," the first officer reassured his partner. "It hasn't done anything to provoke us… yet."

I could have laughed. Their antics were almost childish. They hadn't seen a _ thing _ I could do.

"He looks confident," the first officer whispered to the police sergeant, but another officer overheard. "I'll wipe that smile from his–"

"Stand down," commanded the sergeant. "Don't instigate this alien. For all we know, it could be friendly."

"You have a point," replied the second officer. "Do we got any tranks on us?"

"I'm afraid not," the sergeant answered. "The net will have to do."

I was about to retort, but wisely held it back. I knew that words could not convince the officers that I meant no harm. I mean, what more could I do at this point? They wouldn't really believe me no matter what I said. And since diplomacy was never one of my strong points, (I tended to leave that sort of thing to Sally) I decided to juice it loose. But before I could, one of the officers draped a net over my head. 

Really? A net? They _ seriously _ thought I was some kind of animal? But hey, I saw this coming, so I decided to play along.

"I got him, Sarge!" called the responsible officer.

"Keep him down! We're coming!" ordered the police sergeant as the other officers surrounded me.

Okay, playtime was officially over. _ Now _ I decided to beat feet.

"Aaahhh! Mayday!" cried the officer as he sailed through the air. The net was the only thing that prevented him from getting third-degree burns on the asphalt. That was totally not the way to go. I didn't want to do this, but it was my only chance of getting out of here alive and free.

"He's too fast! I can't catch him!" exclaimed one of the officers.

If _ this _ version of Station Square contained this much excitement, I wanted to see the rest of it as well… even though it wasn't _ my _ Station Square.

So anyway, I figured I didn't want any hitchhikers on my sightseeing trip. I'm _ pretty _ sure hitchhiking is illegal, so I needed a place to drop my cop buddy off. And I spotted it: a police car.

Now I almost regret doing what I did, but I vaulted myself over the car, while simultaneously shrugging off the net. Both cop and net sailed through the open driver's window of the car. At the screams I heard behind me, I shuddered. I would _ never _ do that if I weren't trying to escape with my freedom and life in one piece.

But now that it was all behind me (literally), it was time to take in the sights of this town.

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 2:38 AM — Third-person POV**

To say the least, the front seats of a police squad car are not made for three people.

This was made clear when the alien cleared the roof of the car, shaking off the net draped over its head and effectively throwing the trailing officer through the open window of the newly-arrived squad car. It was a good thing the unfortunate officer's hands were already out in front of him, or a serious head injury would have occurred. Instead, he only suffered a cut on his hand. The other two officers had unbuckled their seat belts, and were just about to disembark from the car when the incident happened. They had only suffered bruises. It could have been much worse.

"Get the doors open!" ordered the driver as he opened his door. The passenger officer did the same, allowing the third officer to finish climbing across his lap and safely out of the car, being careful of his cut hand. The other two officers got out as well.

"Everyone okay?" the driver asked.

"Fine, just shaken," replied the passenger.

"Just a cut," added the third officer.

The driver picked up his radio. This had to be reported. Injuring police officers was a no-go in the SSPD's book.

"Car 15 calling Station 1," he spoke. "Come in…"

* * *

**Station Square Police Station — August 20; 2:39 AM — Third-person POV**

"It sounds like a joke," remarked the police chief upon hearing the latest report.

"I know," agreed one of the officers. "Nothing in our world is capable of running at speeds in excess of four hundred miles per hour."

"This could be a problem," mused the chief. "While it _ is _ from another world and may not have knowledge of the law, it still injured some of our officers."

This alien was reportedly intelligent. If it could speak, then surely it could be negotiated with. But as of now, it could be charged with a felony for three counts of assault on police officers, as well as resisting arrest.

The chief rose to his feet. "Its nature may be unclear, but one thing is certain: we need to get it off our streets."

He turned to his laptop and switched to the Google Maps tab he had open. "7th Avenue heads out to Highway 101, which is where the alien is headed." He thought for a bit. "We need to block off all arteries out of the city, as well as set up a roadblock on 101 near Lunar Ridge. We also need to set a curfew over the city. No one should endanger themselves at the hands of a potentially dangerous life form."

"Yes, sir!" agreed the several officers in the room as they set out to perform their tasks.

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 3:06 AM — Third-person POV**

This was probably the strangest case police rookie Barney Evans had ever responded to.

He and his best friend, thirteen-year officer Sean Rodham, were assigned to travel to the site of the roadblock, which was a good eighteen miles from the station. As Barney climbed into the driver's seat, waited for his partner to get in, and took off.

The next seven or so minutes were quiet, with the only sounds being their own car, the other cars on the freeway, and the occasional broadcast on the police scanner, most of them having to do with the alien.

Finally Barney broke the thoughtful silence. "You seen anything like this in your time with the force?"

"Nope. This is totally unique," Sean drawled in his southern accent. "Well, there's a first time for everything, I guess."

"Four hundred miles an hour? You gotta be kidding," Barney scoffed, tried to maintain his composure. "With that speed, you'd think it was some kind of new Japanese bullet train made for the streets."

Sean chuckled. "I can tell you, this ain't no Flash we're dealin' with."

Just then their banter was cut short by a clearly audible object landing on the roof of their car.

"That better not be what I think it is," Bobby said, not daring to stop the car, as he was stuck in the left lane.

"Better pull over," Sean instructed as calmly as he could, but before Barney could hit the brakes, the alien leaped down onto the hood of the car, offering the officers a clear look at it.

It was definitely anthropomorphic; if it resembled any Earth animal, it would be the hedgehog. Notably, it wore white gloves, white socks, and flashy red shoes. Its expression appeared to be a mixture of cocky and confident.

It took Barney only a second to take in the sight. This was just enough time to swing the wheel to the right to avoid ramming his car into the safety barrier in the middle of US Highway 1. As he was doing this, the alien hedgehog waved at him, leaped off the hood, and sped down the highway at a mind-boggling speed that defied all logic.

During all this, Barney kept his cool, never once stopping the car, and continued driving toward the rendezvous point.

"We were only going at sixty-five miles per hour," Barney said, nervously glancing at the dash. "If that's four hundred, he can outrun even the air force."

"They told us he'd be fast," Sean replied, "but to see his speed from our viewpoint is frightening."

Just then, they heard the sound of a helicopter above them. Aerial support had arrived.

"Hope they have better luck than us," Barney wished.

"Knowing them, they probably will," confirmed Sean.

A few minutes later, the scanner gave the cops good news. "This is Chopper 3. We have a visual. Northbound on 101 near Center Street. Over."

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 3:09 AM — Third-person POV**

The police captain in charge of the roadblock setup watched as the last bulldozer drove into place. This was no ordinary roadblock: it consisted of about a dozen officers, eight police cars, three bulldozers, and even a tractor trailer set up. The overnight construction crews were kind enough to lend the police some of their vehicles to use. Since the construction zone they originated from wasn't far away, they were able to set up the makeshift barrier in record time.

"Think it's gonna be enough?" one officer wondered.

The captain didn't turn around as he surveyed his work. "It _ better _ be."

When the bulldozer parked, the police captain turned around. "I thought the alien was coming this way. What's keeping it?"

A second officer was checking his phone for tweets concerning this phenomenal event. "Aliens is the trending hashtag on Twitter," he said. "There's amateur footage of the alien running up the Eckstein Building, looking around, and running back down. The quality is grainy, but it's there."

The first officer gave the blockage a once-over, no longer looking impressed at its sheer magnitude. "I think we underestimated it."

The captain sighed. Deep down, he had to admit he was true. If this alien could scale a vertical plane just like that, how would a mundane blockade be able to bring it to a standstill?

"We made a couple arrests tonight," the second officer reported, looking up from his phone. Some people didn't take the warning seriously."

The first officer strained to see a distant object approaching. It was definitely the alien; nothing else on this planet could create a blue glow and trail as it ran.

"Here it comes!"

The captain barely had enough time to turn his head when the inevitable happened. Bullet time seemed to kick in as the blue hedgehog-like alien ran at an incredible speed toward the roadblock. Then it took a leap so high, far and graceful over the roadblock that it would turn gymnasts into green-eyed monsters. Upon landing on the other side of the blockade, the alien continued running without even so much as losing speed, and ran down an offramp.

As the alien proceeded down an offramp and out of sight, the police captain stood there agape, never mind the incredible wind gust it kicked up as it passed them. He had never seen anything like that in his entire life. Not even a NASCAR race could rival that speed.

When the first officer found his voice, he said, "You… You saw that, right?" The second officer shook his head. It happened too quickly for him to see in time.

The captain nodded as he pulled out his radio. "Suspect has cleared the block. We're out of options."

"_Not quite,_" the dispatcher said, a glint of hope in his voice. "_I'm relaying your message to the S-Team._"

The S-Team. They were Station Square's unique high-speed police unit. The city had organized their founding years ago because of the city's speeding problems. Since then, the issue was mostly eradicated.

The captain sighed contentedly. _ This is a last resort worth turning to. If the S-Team can't catch him_, he thought, _ no one can_.

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 3:13 AM — Third-person POV**

He slowly groaned and opened his eyes, grateful that the ringtone he chose was loud and pumping enough to wake him from sleep. He had fallen in love with "Life is a Highway" years back, and had used it as his ringtone ever since.

Squinting at the clock by his bed, he saw that the green digital numbers read 3:13 AM. He sighed. Even for a habitual early bird like him, three in the morning was a little soon for him to be up.

He fumbled for his smartphone on the nightstand and picked it up. The only person who could call him at this hour was his job. Turns out, he was right first guess.

Pressing the green button, he sat up and put the phone to his ear.

"Sam here," he spoke groggily.

"I hate to wake you at this hour," the officer at the other end said, "but we've got a unique case on our hands that requires your expertise. Can you be down here within fifteen minutes?"

"Sooner," Sam answered with confidence.

"Good. The rest of the team's here waiting for you. We'll brief you when you get here."

"I'll be there before you know it," he answered before hanging up. He yawned before rising from his bed and dressing into his pullover shirt. His suit was at the station, and he knew he could change into it in a little as thirty seconds. It took him years of practice to do so, but back in the day, he had a lot of opportunities.

Nowadays, there weren't as many opportunities for him to stretch his legs and legally put the pedal to the metal on the freeway. But when they did come, he savored every moment of them as if they were his last.

Living on the second floor of the twenty-four story Lilac Apartment Suites, which was conveniently located only a mile away from the police station, really had its advantages. This way Sam could run out to his car quickly. He ran down the stairs (he insisted the elevator was too slow) and out the door. He quickly located his car, hopped in, moved some of the car's trash aside (he really had to clean this car), pressed the Start button, and drove off toward the police station.

He planned to get there in record time as he usually did. His name was Speed. Sam Speed. Or rather, the Highway Star… at least for tonight. He was the leader of a seven-person special police unit in Station Square, formally known as the Station Square High-Speed Crimes Division. Sam preferred to call it the S-Team for short. Long names weren't his forte.

Four minutes later, Sam pulled into the police station's parking lot. He leaped out of his car and entered through the front door. An officer saw him and smiled.

"On time as usual, I see. Come this way." He ushered Sam to the back room, where he took a seat, ready to be briefed. Three other officers were already there.

"So what's the beef, Chief?" Sam asked.

"Right, so here's the scoop," one of the officers nodded. "You're probably not going to believe me, but you have to. You see… " He smiled wanly. "…there's an alien running through our town at about four hundred miles per hour."

Sam's eyes widened. "Run that past me again."

"The alien in question— Yes, it's _ literally _ an alien from another planet. Based solely on firsthand SSPD field testimony, the alien in question resembles a hedgehog. It's maybe three feet tall, has red sneakers and white gloves. It can easily run at speeds in excess of four hundred miles an hour."

"Wait, four hundred miles per- You're kidding, right? H-How can anything living move that fast?" Sam exclaimed, awed and incredulous at the same time.

"I really don't know. This alien easily made a joke out of a fortified blockade we set up, and we're out of options. This is why we called you in" the officer said. "Anyway, the rest of the team's downstairs waiting for you. Go get 'em, Blazemaker!"

"That's so yesterday," Sam playfully called behind him as he opened the stairwell door. "Tonight I'm the Highway Star!"

The officer just shook his head as Sam quickly descended the stairs to the basement, where the Speed Division's garage was located. He pushed opened the door at the bottom of the stairs and found that his six teammates were already there waiting for him.

Hector Dragg was Sam's right-hand man. He had a real last name like Sam, but changed it because he wanted to be just like him. He was the first member of the team, and for a while before anyone else joined, it was just he and Sam working together to take down speeding criminals.

Then there was Juan Chaffetz. Like Sam, he too came from the dirt derbies, though he and Sam had yet to race head-to-head. He had excellent maneuvering skills, and couldn't be beat when it came to hand-eye coordination.

Paul Doyle was the S-Team's mechanic, having years of practice in his department. He didn't head out all that often, though, as he had to stay and help out with George Karlof's training.

George was, needless to say, a mechanic-in-training, as well as the S-Team's newest member. He had really proven his worth both in the garage and on the streets.

Then there was rising star Fred Lester, who went by "Ace". If the Speed Division had a chain of command, he would be number three. Besides Sam, he had one of the lightest and fastest cars of the team. He too has had years of experience with keeping crooks at bay, effortlessly allowing Sam to catch them.

Last but certainly not least was Dawn Winchell, the team's leading lady. She was the team's navigator who was responsible for checking air and road conditions, as well as the satellites and radar. She too didn't usually head out with the others, but when she did, she was a force to be reckoned with. Sam, Hector, Juan, Paul, George, Ace, and Dawn - these seven comprised the Station Square Police Department's Speed Division.

"All right, team, listen up," Sam began. "You've been on standby for a while, I assume. But now it's finally time for action. You know about the alien, right?"

"Yeah," Ace replied. "I've been following the story on Twitter. Can you believe the buzz it's generating around town?"

"You know I'll believe it when I see it," Sam said. "Anyway, this alien is about this tall-" he held his hand up to about his waist "-is blue, and seems to resemble a hedgehog or porcupine. It wears sneakers and gloves, and is capable of running as fast as four hundred miles per hour."

Expressions of shock arose from the S-Team - at least, those who didn't already know.

"Yeah, I know, I didn't believe in aliens either until tonight," Sam broke the stunned silence. "But face it, they're real. This alien is real. We need to take it down."

The Speed Division was founded because there were too many people breaking the speed limit, and even the cop cars weren't fast enough to catch these speeders. In fact, Station Square had the highest speeding crime rate in America. People would speed in this city because the roads were perfect for it, and they could get away with it, even using cars designed for speed. But after the SSPD founded the Speed Division, due to the team's efficiency and reputation, speeding incidents and the resulting accidents were reduced significantly. Now people were afraid to speed because they knew all about the S-Team. There wasn't another team like it in the entire rest of the United States.

Because the speeding crimes were so low these days, it wasn't often that their status indicator in the front room of the police station changed to green for "Called Out". But when it did, it always sent butterflies to the stomachs of the team members, particularly Sam Speed. For him, it meant it was time for another thrilling chase, another opportunity to live out his dream.

While Paul and George checked the vehicles to make sure they were in racing condition, Ace, Juan, and Hector got the fuel and oil ready for the vehicles. Sam stood by Dawn as she checked the computers so that the S-Team could be briefed on the environmental situation outside.

"All good over there?" Sam called.

"All good!" Paul responded. The vehicles were almost ready. All that remained was that Sam choose the tires of the day.

Sam turned back to Dawn, who was standing near a station which displayed a map of the city, as well as a large touchscreen.

"Road temperature?" Sam asked.

"Seventy."

"Humidity?"

"Ten."

"Wind?"

"Calm."

"Road texture?"

"Smooth."

"Okay. Five groove medium soft."

"Coming right up."

As Dawn went off to order the requested tires, Sam ran toward his racing jacket hanging on the wall and proceeded to slip it on in the thirty seconds he bragged about doing it in. He and Dawn went through that routine every time. In fact, they were so good at it that they practically had it down to a science. Sam had to consider all the factors, for both air and road, before every mission - whether it was hot, cold, windy, calm, humid, dry, the Station Square Speed Division had tires for all these conditions.

Paul, Ace, Juan, and Hector were also set to go on this unique mission, as they too were dressing into their racing jackets. Of course, none of them had the thirty-second bragging rights Sam did. That was his thing, and they respected it.

George and Dawn, on the other hand, were going to stay back at HQ and monitor the road conditions and any potential hazards the S-Team might face, such as road closures and heavy traffic. Tonight, the police had issued a mandatory curfew, so traffic would certainly not be a problem. George and Dawn usually didn't go unless the mission was a dire emergency. Tonight was not such a case, as Sam believed that this alien was not that kind of threat… yet. If it proved to be more dangerous than he thought, then he would call them out.

Having changed into his racing suit, Sam ran over and grabbed his helmet and cloth that goes on underneath it. Putting them on, he walked over to his car. To Sam, it was his pride and joy. It never failed to help him take down Station Square's worst speeders.

Sam climbed into his car as the mechanics finished installing the five groove medium soft tires into the cars. Note that they did it in near-record time. In fact, the S-Team tire crew was said to do about as well as the NASCAR pit crews. Simply put, fast was normal for the S-Team.

Hector approached Sam as the latter was buckling up. "Gears five and six are set for freeway speed," he reported.

Sam nodded. "Good."

"Also…" Hector leaned in closer to whisper in Sam's ear, even though he was wearing a helmet. "…your secret fuel tank? I topped it off for you. Bet the higher-ups won't even know."

Sam smirked. "Thanks."

So why was his secret fuel tank forbidden by the police while on the job? Because the fuel was atomic and had a high risk of exploding, making it far too dangerous for highway use. But Sam figured that if Batman could do it, then so could he.

Sam tuned into the police scanner and listened in.

"Car 38 to HQ. Suspect is out of range. Last known location is 101 at Manchester." Manchester Drive was about two miles south of the northern part of the city limits. To Sam, that meant the alien was leaving the city. He knew he shouldn't let that happen.

"He's at 101 and Manchester," Sam radioed his team, now that they were all in their cars. "We'll cut him off at the city limits."

He was greeted with a chorus of "Yes, sirs!" as the team started their engines. _ What a glorious sound they make_, thought Sam. _ Modified Formula One police cars are the best. _

To say the team was pumped was something of an understatement. They had never dealt with anything remotely extraterrestrial before, let alone anything that could go four hundred miles per hour.

As the garage door slowly opened (too slowly in Sam's opinion), Sam went through his usual pre-mission checklist. Gloves on? Check. Helmet on? Check. Fuel tank full? Check. Gears set? Check. Rocket fuel installed? Optional, but check.

Time to release the hounds.

As usual, Sam's car was the first to advance toward the now-open garage door. His car was placed ahead of the other cars, so he would always be the first out. As he started driving, the others followed. First there was Ace, then Juan, then Paul and Hector. The five of them drove single-file through the door and onto a small road to their left.

That road led out to another, more open road - their runway, they called it. It was a stretch of road they used to gather enough speed to access the freeways and expressways crisscrossing Station Square.

Once Sam reached the road, he switched to gear four, floored the gas, and tore off into the night with his team, ready to take down the mysterious speedster from another world.

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 3:38 AM — Sonic's POV**

Three miles later, I finally stopped running. It had been fun playing with the cops, seeing what their expectations might be. They even set up a roadblock to test my skills, which I passed with flying colors. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I vaulted the several trucks they placed in the middle of the road.

Having finally found a break, I hopped onto the top of a light pole to ponder my situation. This was obviously not my world. If it was, then I would be trapped somewhere in the past, and I knew Chaos Control wasn't capable of that. But how on Mobius could Station Square exist here too? The sign I saw before didn't lie. But there was another sign I saw while exploring the city: a Verizon sign mentioning something about a place called California. Could this "California" be the greater region Station Square is part of?

This Station Square was slightly different than the one I know. For one, the layout was altered. There were roads in places I knew there weren't. I had actually needed to scale a few skyscrapers just to get a bird's-eye view of the city's layout. For another, the climate was slightly warmer, which made me wonder if they ever got cold winters.

The full moon glowed brightly, which made me wonder if the night sky was still the same as that of my world. For the most part, it was, though it didn't take an astronomer to know that some of the star placements looked different, and yet somewhat the same.

I knew for sure that I was transported through space and not time. I know my Chaos Control, and I know it transports their users through space and not time. This would explain how the police did not know me, and yet there was a Station Square. Perhaps this was an alternate universe?

Anyway, Chaos Control. Obviously something completely unprecedented happened to Eggman's Chaos Roboticizer that made it go berserk. Either the doc never tested his machine, or that destroyed E-13 Guardian somehow damaged it. Then again, the machine _ was _ heavily pelted with debris. That probably did a number to it. That plus the seven Chaos Emeralds together spelled disaster. I had dealt with Chaos Control before, but I had never seen Chaos Control happening on a scale that massive before, at least not since Space Station ARK.

And that's how I got transported to this place. My mind was still brimming with burning questions. Was I stranded on this world alone? Or could the others also be here as well? If I woke up alone somewhere, perhaps chances were good that Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Cream made it as well. Then my eyes widened: if they were here, then that could only mean Eggman and his minions were here too. That was when I silently vowed to protect this world from him should he attack, even if I had to do it alone.

But what if my friends were here? I knew Knuckles can easily take care of himself; he'd been doing it for years. Tails and Amy were also independent to an extent. But Cream was just a kid. She couldn't take care of herself like the others could…

But before I could further ponder my situation, I became aware of the sound of motors behind me. Turning around, I saw what appeared to be five racecars with flashing lights. Strangely, they were some of the first traffic I saw since landing here. They all stopped in front of the light pole I was sitting on. I figured it was a special branch of police. I jumped down from the pole as the hatch of the lead car opened. Out stepped a man dressed in a racing jacket.

"Hey," he said, removing his helmet, "thanks for giving us a reason to come out here tonight."

I shrugged. What a strange thing to say. But if he was a police officer, shouldn't he have been trying to catch me?

The hatches of the other cars opened, and their respective drivers climbed out. "You're under arrest for breaking the speed limit!" one of them shouted.

"Stand down, team," the first man ordered, holding up his hand. "This is a special case. I want to talk to this one."

He turned back to me and leaned on his car. "I don't know if you understand English, but I wanna let you know you've made my night. You're actually the second arrest we've had this year. Now I'm sure you're wondering who the first is. Want to know what happened? Some nutjob thought Highway 101 was a great place to speed, since it's so straight. The guy even had his own Formula One car. Now I'm pretty sure those things are illegal for recreational use. But thanks to us, we took him down in two minutes. _ Two. Minutes. _ That's not even enough time to heat a frozen pizza, you know?" He chuckled at the memory. "I managed to outrun a Formula One in just _ two _ minutes. That's fast, don't you think?"

I wasn't sure what to think. It was kinda strange that a guy I never met before suddenly started tooting his own horn. But what was even stranger was that his demeanor was almost like mine, but more arrogant. Kinda reminded me of Jet, actually.

"Imagine going eight months without a real job," the guy said. "Which is why I want to congratulate you again for having me come out tonight. I need the speed."

Now I had a feeling I would like this guy.

The man sighed. "I gotta admit, you're fast, but let me tell you this one thing before you go anywhere. There can be only one fast person in Station Square. And that person is me. You can call me the Highway Star. And this is the Station Square Police Department High-Speed Crime Division, or S-Team for short."

I smirked. The arrogance was rearing its head again.

The Highway Star gave a rather loud exhale. "Well," he said, "this was really a long introduction. But you know what? I don't do long."

He slipped his helmet on and started to climb back into his car.

"I do _ fast_."

With one downward hand wave, he signaled the other S-Team members to chase me down. Four engines revved, and four sets of tires squealed as their drivers sped toward me with one goal in their minds:

Arrest me and make this Highway Star person the fastest thing in Station Square.

_ You're on_, I thought as I took off running.

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 3:42 AM — Third-person POV**

Sam wasn't lying when he said this alien was fast.

While the S-Team drivers had to gain speed for about eleven seconds in order to match its speed of two hundred miles per hour, the alien could reach that speed instantaneously. In fact, they nearly lost it, but given a few seconds more, they quickly caught up.

"Target is at four hundred feet and gaining," reported Paul.

Suddenly the alien did something none of the drivers expected. It turned around on a dime and began to run laps around one of the cars - Paul's, to be specific. He was able to keep his coordination and focus on the road, but his brain was screaming at the impossibility of what was happening.

"Mayday; target has engaged me," he said as calmly and professionally as he could muster.

"Boost rear flaps to twenty degrees," instructed Hector.

The drivers did as they were told and adjusted the wings accordingly. Soon, four sets of rear flaps clicked into place, lowering the wind resistance on their cars and allowing them to move even faster.

"Lanes are narrowing to three in half a mile," warned George over the drivers' radios.

"Copy that," responded Hector.

Ace gradually accelerated his speed as the alien stopped circling Paul and resumed running ahead of them. "Target has disengaged; now at 300," he reported.

"Prepare Square Formation," instructed Hector. "Juan, you're up front. I'll take the back."

A chorus of "Roger that"s came over his radio as the drivers tediously moved into position. The Square Formation involved all four drivers using their cars to box in a speeder. It was very dangerous, especially at high speeds, but it was surprisingly effective.

By this point, the full effect of the flaps kicked in, allowing the drivers to achieve a maximum speed of 250 miles per hour for the angle the flaps were bent at.

Because of this, Juan was able to surpass the alien while Ace and Paul took the left and right sides respectively. Hector brought up the rear.

It took them shorter than expected to completely box in the alien. That was made even more surprising by the fact that it had way more than enough reaction time to figure out their plan and make its escape.

"Slow down in three," said Hector.

Just then the alien leaped out of the square and landed on top of Ace's car. Hector should have seen this coming. At least they tried the Square Formation.

"Target is hitchhiking!" reported Ace, sounding a little frantic.

"Don't panic," Paul advised before glancing at his mini-map next to the dash. "Exiting city limits now."

"Take the exit at Tingalin Villa Drive," Dawn instructed over their radios.

"Copy," responded Hector.

To the rest of his team, he said, "All units, we are taking the offramp at Tingalin Villa. Single file, everyone, single file. Paul, move behind Ace."

"Roger."

As all four cars were maneuvering into single file, a new voice crackles over their radios – that of their leader.

"_Sam to Hector. Requesting status report._"

Hector was pleased Sam opted to use his real name on official missions, instead of his many nicknames. This was a professional career, and it required that he set aside such a childish preference that would otherwise throw everyone off.

"Target alien is hitchhiking on Ace's vehicle," Hector reported. "An attempt to subdue the target via Square Formation has failed. Awaiting orders."

"_Continue with normal procedures. I'm on my way,_" Sam said.

"Roger that. Over and out."

Hector couldn't help but notice the tense strain in his team leader's voice. He knew he didn't like if anyone was faster than him in Station Square. While Sam loved to go fast for the cause of justice, he often let his ego go to his head.

Just as they were pulling onto Tingalin Villa Drive, Hector was suddenly surprised at the alien's appearance on the hood of his car. But he knew he couldn't stop. He had to keep moving or risk failing to catch this alien. It couldn't be allowed to roam the streets and continue to possibly pose a menace to society.

Just as soon as it appeared, the alien was gone. Gone, as if it was a mere illusion. But Hector wasn't hallucinating. The alien was now taking off down the road, even faster than it was moving before.

But Hector was more than prepared this time.

_ The enigma must be stopped. _

"Boost rear flaps to 25 degrees and all other flaps to five degrees," he instructed.

The drivers did as they were told and adjusted their wing flaps accordingly over the next five seconds.

"Full throttle on three!" was Hector's next command.

Exactly three seconds later, all four drivers put their pedals to the metal. However, to Hector's dismay, even with their combined increased speed, it _ still _ wasn't quite fast enough. The alien was exceeding their vehicles' maximum speed of three hundred miles per hour, but at the same time was conveniently keeping itself within view of the racers.

Then the blue alien hedgehog made a surprise move that shocked everyone.

"Chief, we have a situation," Ace said. "The alien is literally running backwards at 300 mph."

"He's _ playing _ with us!" exclaimed an incredulous Paul, his voice cracking a little.

"Target within half a mile and gaining," Sam said over the radio. "ETA thirty seconds."

If a police race car driver could sound like he was out for blood, Sam Speed fit the bill. He refused to be surpassed as the speed champion of Station Square, much less by someone not native to this Earth.

* * *

**Station Square - Outskirts — August 20; 3:49 AM — Sonic's POV**

Escaping the law may have been a no-go, but these guys were after me for something I didn't commit. Sure, I could own up to accidentally injuring a couple cops in my getaway attempt, but that wouldn't pardon me for being different. It was almost like the time GUN thought I was Shadow when we first clashed.

But no matter. If I was going to be here a while, they would have to get good and used to me by the time I got home.

…whenever that would be.

And hey, for all you would-be stunt performers out there on the other side of this screen, just a couple words of advice: don't play in the road, don't stand on top of moving cars, and especially don't use formula one race cars to chase hedgehogs, especially the fast blue variety!

Just then I heard a whirring sound above me. Looking up, I caught sight of a news helicopter, and waved to the camera. At least this was way better than those kiss cams they have at sporting events back on my world… Yuck.

Okay, just _ one _ more quick jump into third-person, and then it's all me. Just hang in there, readers. I'll get out of this somehow. I always do.

As I continued to entertain my audience of four (four million, if you count the people watching the news right now), that number grew to five as the cars pulled to either side of the road. The fifth car looked like the others, but I took it that Highway Star guy was inside. He may have been the big bad of this group, but the way he introduced himself was kinda weird. If Jet was ever a human, this is what he would be like (DeviantArt users, _ don't _ get any ideas).

I didn't think he was all that impressive until he suddenly floored the gas, rapidly accelerating from two hundred to around three hundred miles per hour in just fifteen seconds at my estimate.

So the guy could go fast. But he had no idea that two could play at this game.

I too increased my speed and ran faster before the Highway Star had a chance at passing me. Heh, not on my watch, I thought.

He didn't seem to go any faster, so I thought I had him beat. I was once again the fastest thing alive, whether it was on Mobius or… whatever this planet was called.

That I had to find out, and what year it was here. And maybe there was a fleeting chance the Rock was President here as well…?

Suddenly the Highway Star's car rocketed forward at skin-rippling speeds of four hundred miles per hour. I later learned that he was using atomic fuel – forbidden, but could only be used in emergencies. I took it he thought I was an emergency somehow. Good thing the guy's hatch was down, seatbelt was buckled, and helmet was on.

I kinda had to admit, he was pretty fun to race against. This world was full of surprises. Sure, I hadn't seen any other Mobians since kanding here, but it was good to know there was at least one human here who was capable of one-upping me.

I didn't want to go off-road now, as I was enjoying this race way too much. And once again, he drove faster and ended up passing me with his new-found speed. At the time, it was without explanation.

_ How did this happen? _

_ Aren't I the fastest thing alive? _

_ How is a mere human able to rival even Shadow and Metal Sonic in terms of speed? _

The next thing I knew, the guy was trying to cut me off. I didn't know what his game was, but I was sure he was trying to get me to stop or something. He was no Eggman, but it was way past uncool.

_ Then _ he activated a loudspeaker that blared from his car. The unexpected noise was so loud that I nearly fell further behind. I could tell he was mad at being second best.

"_You will never be faster than me, hedgehog!_" he screamed through the loudspeaker. " _t'll take a sonic boom for anyone to ever be faster than _ me _ on _ my _ highway!_"

I smirked. He was speaking my language.

"One sonic boom, coming right up!" I announced, even though I knew it was impossible for him to hear me over our speed and his motor.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for the pure speed I was about to embrace.

_ Gotta go fast. _

I shot forward at speeds in excess of 760 miles per hour, squinting as the air rushed past me at wicked speeds. Normal for me, once-in-a-lifetime for very few. The resulting sonic boom was music to my ears.

* * *

**Station Square - Outskirts — August 20; 3:55 AM — Third-person POV**

Sam sat stock-still in his car. He had never been that scared in his life.

He had seen something he had thought he would never see even in his wildest dreams. No creature, no land object, should have been able to achieve mach speed the way that alien just did. In fact, Sam knew the laws of physics should not allow anything to _ run _ that fast.

Sam mentally kicked himself. He practically _ had _ him in the crosshairs of his tranquilizer, something he usually brought along for emergencies, when it had taken off down the freeway at roughly the speed of sound. Sam knew that nothing, not even any of his own cars, had ever achieved mach speed on the ground. In a word, it was phenomenal.

It is common knowledge that whenever anything moves past the speed of sound, a sonic boom occurs. So the moment the alien took off running, a tremendous explosion-like sound filled Sam's ears. Not only did it nearly cause him to lose control and crash, but it even cracked his ultra-durable windshield, something that had never been done before.

His heart pumped like the pistons in his car in overtime as he pressed a button on the control panel. Since it was fairly difficult to completely stop his car on a dime at maximum speed, he relied on a pair of parachutes to do the job for him.

"Chief!" Dawn's urgent voice came over the radio. "Construction zone in two miles. Road's closed ahead."

"Roger that," Sam reported. "Target lost at Tingalin Valley Mile 21. Braking now."

Sam's car came to a complete stop a full thirty seconds later, and he sat there panting as the adrenaline from his chase slowly wore off. He let out a frustrated sigh. No way would he catch this alien now. For the first time in his career, his man gave him the slip.

It took a few minutes for the rest of the S-Team to catch up and stop as well. The drivers climbed out of their cars and walked over to Sam's car. Sam lifted his hatch open and climbed out. He removed his helmet, the night air being a vast contrast to the tight air of his car, and threw it on the ground in frustration.

"A sonic boom," he groaned through gritted teeth. "You gotta be kidding me."

"So that's what happened back there?" Juan asked.

Sam nodded. "Did the impossible," he sighed, his adrenaline still not wearing off yet. "It's not logical at all."

"Hey, don't be down, Chief," Hector comforted, gently clapping Sam on the back. "I'm sure there'll be other opportunities to catch this alien."

"I know, Hector," Sam said, "but this is the first time we ever failed a mission – no, _ I'm _ the S-Team leader. _ I _ failed."

"The situation was well out of our hands to begin with," said Paul. "We did everything we could; there's nothing to be ashamed of."

The only sounds that penetrated the midnight silence was the distant sound of construction vehicles working on Tingalin Villa Drive between Highway 101 and Interstate 5. Sam thought over what all had transpired throughout the past hour. It was certainly the most exciting mission he had ever been on. It was his biggest case, but also his biggest blunder. He could only hope the police commissioner wouldn't be too mad at him.

How could they be, anyway? How could they expect him to catch someone who could make a sonic boom while running on foot. He told himself: this wasn't over.

Sam sighed again. What would the police commissioner say?

"Now let's head back," invited Hector as he and his teammates started back toward their cars. Sam took another moment before doing the same.

As soon as Sam was in his car and buckled in, George's voice came over the radio.

"SSPD says to abort the mission and return to HQ. I repeat: abort and return to HQ."

He slipped his helmet back on and closed the hatch, a single word echoing through his thoroughly confused mind.

_ Rematch. _

* * *

**Station Square - Outskirts — August 20; 3:55 PM — Sonic's POV.**

That. Was. Awesome!

I had only spent around ten seconds at mach speed before slowing down right near the construction site. That was all I needed to show that Highway Star what _real_ speed was like.

I tried to be careful to avoid being seen by any of the nearby construction workers; I really didn't want to know their reactions to seeing a Mobian on this planet. Actually, their reactions would have been priceless, but I didn't want to deal with the consequences of that. Last I checked, explaining the presence of a space alien running through your city is pretty much next to impossible.

I darted away from the construction site, away from the workers, away from civilization as a whole. I wanted to see what the rest of this world was like. So far, it didn't seem all that different from human-populated places such as South Island. I guess this planet and Mobius weren't so different after all.

Anyway, that was hands-down the best race I had ever run. It was definitely better that the race with Metal Sonic, which was really more of a time crunch; and the escape from the GUN truck from my earlier days. The humans here really knew how to make the fastest thing alive feel welcome.

I soon passed through a wind farm. There were wind turbines dotting the landscape here and there, and as I ran through the wind farm, they began spinning at a decidedly brisk pace. There was also a cliff right there, and I decided to take a flying leap off of it to get a mondo stunning bird's eye view of the city below.

And what a beautiful city it was. I had forgotten just how beautiful its neon signs and lights were at night. If the Highway Star lived here, then there would certainly be good times all around for as long as I was on this planet. This town felt very much like the humans' neck of the woods on Mobius. It looked like this planet felt sort of closer to home than I thought.

I still couldn't figure out why Station Square existed in this world as well. I knew for sure that Perfect Chaos destroyed Mobius' Station Square back on Mobius, but why and how was it intact here?

Then I realized, there was just a little bad news about free-sailing through the air.

Actually, _ mondo _ bad news!

When free-flying through the air, you tend to have little say in what speed or direction you want to go in, especially when you start to free-fall instead. In my case, since many of you have played my games (I have the right to breaking the fourth wall; don't judge me), you'll know about my fear of water. I've hated it for as long as I can remember. You know why? I sink like a rock whenever I land in a body of water. In short: I can't swim.

So when I saw that I was falling toward a large pool on a mega-million mansion's property at the edge of town, that see panic through me. I could easily regain my footing if I were to land on solid ground, but my trajectory wouldn't change no matter how hard I tried to control my body. I still had no idea how Knuckles was able to do it.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for my inevitable fate, before landing in the pool with such force that I hit the bottom almost immediately. That was a good thirteen feet down – too deep in my book. I imagined there would be a giant splash associated with it, but I was too busy trying to think of a way to get out of this dark, cold pool.

I tried running. Nope. Didn't work. I tried a giant leap. Repeat performance. I think my panic was getting the better of me, because normally I did have _ some _ mobility underwater. But tonight, however, was not my night.

Then I saw it: a ladder on the side of the pool. That would have been my only way out of the pool, but I was running out of air and energy.

I felt a fiery sensation in my lungs, which could only mean they were crying out for air. Frantic alarms sounded in my head as I began wondering what my fate would be. Would someone somehow have heard me, and would come and rescue me from this awful fate? Or was I destined to silently drown on a familiar, yet alien, world?

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Chris' room — August 20; 3:57 AM — Chris' POV**

I bolted up in bed, roused by a sudden loud noise from outside. If I had to place a distance, I would say it came from somewhere on our property. I didn't know how long I had been asleep, but I was kind of a light sleeper.

I glanced at the clock: 3:57AM. Our security was good enough that we didn't need a night watch, so what could possibly have caused that noise?

Just then, I became aware of something else. The noise didn't just stop. It was still going on. It was almost like a rushing sound, something that sounded just like–

No. It couldn't be. But I had to make sure I wasn't still dreaming. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I pulled back the covers and stepped out of bed. Running to my window, the first thing I noticed was that the water was landing back into the adult pool. That was really strange. It was as if something very large had landed in there.

Assuming that was the case, I strained to see just what could have landed in the pool. That was when I noticed a dark shape underneath the pool's surface, grappling in vain, as if it was trying to escape. There was something alive in there – an animal, no doubt. It would drown if no one was there to save it, and I knew I was the only available candidate.

Without even bothering to dress, I bolted across my room, opened the door, and started down the hall. My family would hear if I continued running down the hall, so I tiptoed as quickly and quietly as I could, past Ella's room, past Tanaka's room, past the spare rooms, until I finally reached the stairs. Not wearing sneakers helped greatly, but I wasn't one to take chances.

There was one thing wrong with this plan, though, and this was a long-term issue. My mom had made a rule that I was never allowed to swim in the adult pool without supervision, nor was I supposed to swim at night. However, I would have to break both rules tonight. I couldn't just let that creature die. Rule or no rule, I _ had _ to save it. It would be cruel not to.

Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I made a beeline for the back door, the only obstacle separating me and the pool. Once I arrived, I unlatched the sliding door and pushed it open. I was downstairs, so I didn't have time to care about little things such as noise.

Upon reaching the edge of the pool, I could see that the dark shape in the water was still thrashing. Good. It was still alive. Disregarding my pajamas, I took a deep breath and dove into the water.

The suddenly cold water was a shock to my body, but it was to be expected. In addition, it was extremely dark, illuminated only by the patio light that had automatically turned on when I ran outside. This meant I had a hard time seeing the animal under the water.

As I got closer, I was able to take a closer look at the creature. I saw a clear-cut limb, and grabbed it before gradually pulling it to the surface. To my surprise, the animal actually cooperated with me in its rescue. It was quite heavy, possibly weighing well over sixty pounds, but since it was cooperating, it actually made the rescue that much easier.

A few seconds later, we broke the surface. I breathed in a lungful of fresh evening air, and climbed out of the pool. This was more difficult than it sounded because I was still holding on to the animal's limb. I turned around and used my other hand to aid me in firmly grasping the animal's…

…gloved hand?

_ Oh. _

_ My. _

_ Gosh. _

This wasn't like any animal I had ever seen. I was so mesmerized by it that I almost forgot to finish pulling it out of the water.

With one last mighty tug from me, the creature surfaced, and I aided it in crawling out of the water. Once it was completely out of the pool, it sprawled on the ground, coughing violently. Now I was able to get a good look at this creature.

First of all, it had azure blue fur, and looked more or less like a hedgehog, with the long quills running down its back. It was completely unlike any other animal I had ever seen. In fact, its proportions were very much like those of a human's, except it was a bit shorter than me. It even wore a few pieces of clothing – soft white gloves (I would imagine they were soft, but they were very wet at the moment), cuffed socks, and flashy red sneakers similar to my grandpa's Pumas, minus the laces, and sporting a gold buckle on the outside of each one.

Then it dawned on me that this wasn't _ just _ a creature I was looking at.

This was an _ alien_.

So many questions filled my mind all at once, but I had to move them aside for now. This alien was choking on figuratively half the pool, and I had to help it.

I gently patted its back, being careful not to prick myself on its quills.

"Are you okay?" I compassionately asked, not even thinking of whether it knew English. Not that it mattered, though. It could still comprehend emotion.

After it finished coughing for the time being, it opened its eyes and turned to look at me, taking me aback slightly. It had nearly mesmerizing emerald-green eyes, and the cartoonishly large eyeballed were joined together just above its pointed black nose. It had a smirk, something I didn't know how to feel about.

"Yeah," the alien spoke. "Could've been worse."

If I wasn't taken aback before, you can bet I was now. The alien had just communicated to me in perfect English, its masculine voice sounding no different than that of a teenager's.

I was at a loss for words. The alien could talk!

The hedgehog gave me a more easygoing smile. "Thanks for the save back there."

_ You're welcome, _ I thought. But on the outside, I couldn't form words. I had been watching Star Wars and Doctor Who for years. To think I could actually see one with my own two eyes, let alone _ meet _ one… Better yet, this wasn't the kind of alien who was out to conquer civilizations or anything like that. This one was… different.

Then I realized, I was forgetting my manners. If this alien could talk, then I should introduce myself.

"My name is Christopher Thorndyke," I introduced, sounding chill on the outside, but on the inside, I was screaming in ecstasy. "Do you have a name?"

The alien started to stand up. He was a bit taller than I thought; at about three feet and three inches at my estimate, he came to just above my waist.

"My name's Sonic," he spoke in a tone that almost sounded… heroic. "Sonic the Hedgehog!"

I had to smile. Sonic the Hedgehog… I really liked that name.

Then another question came to mind.

"Sonic… How exactly did you, you know… get here?"

"I ran off a cliff at just under the speed of—"

"No, I mean, how did you come to this planet?" I rephrased.

Sonic closed his eyes, as if reminiscing. "It's a long story," he said at last. "I don't think you would understand if I told you."

"You can tell me," I invited. "I'll try to understand."

Sonic hesitated for the longest time, then sighed. "I don't know why, but… it doesn't feel like the right time yet."

"Because my folks are sleeping?"

"That, and…" his voice trailed off, which made me more curious as to how he wound up in the adult pool to begin with.

"It's okay," I said, suddenly feeling a surge of boldness I didn't have before. "Do you… have a place to stay somewhere?"

Sonic slowly shook his head. "I only just got here, Chris, so… I can't say that I do."

"Then… " I took a deep breath. "…do you want to spend the night here at my house…?"

Sonic cocked a brow. "Come again?"

I nodded to press my point. "Yeah. We'll make sure to take good care of you, and maybe even find a way to get you back to where you belong."

"You would do that…?" queried Sonic, to which I eagerly nodded again. "You know what, Chris? I'll take up your offer. Thanks for inviting me."

"There's one condition, though," I said.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Please make sure no one else sees you."

Sonic looked confused all of a sudden. "But why would your folks help me out if you don't want them to see me?"

"Because…" I couldn't put it into words, but imagine what would happen if everyone happened to see an alien in their midst. Lots of bad stuff would happen, the government would get involved, I might get in trouble because I wouldn't be able to explain it… I didn't even want to think about it. Fortunately Sonic provided an answer.

"Because I'm alien to your planet?"

I nodded.

Sonic smirked. It wasn't a condescending smirk; far from, actually. It was a playful and confident one instead. I'd say it fit him.

"Well, you don't need to worry about me, Chris. I can run at the speed of sound. Good luck to anyone trying to catch me."

I blinked in surprise, trying to process that statement. "You can run at the speed of sound."

Sonic nodded. "Yep. The fastest thing alive, they call me." He glanced across the pool, stifling a yawn. "'Fraid I can't demonstrate now; I had a late night getaway from the cops."

"Because you're an alien?"

Again the hedgehog nodded. "Of course, none of them came close to catching me. One of them almost did, though." I had a feeling I knew who he was talking about. "Best race I ever had. He actually almost passed me, but I—"

"Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"I think we should probably keep our voices down. My folks are still sleeping."

"Oh, okay. Sorry."

I looked at the alien as he began slowly wandering around, glancing up at the house. Only now did he realize just how big it was.

"Nice house, Chris," he complimented. "Thanks again for letting me stay."

"You're welcome," I modestly replied.

Silence filled the night air, before I turned to Sonic once more, who was still busying himself examining the mansion's décor.

"So… when can you tell me about how you got here?" I asked.

"Definitely not tonight," he said, giving me a tired smile. "How 'bout I tell you about it once I meet up with a few of my friends first?" he suggested.

Sonic… had friends where he was from? I assumed they were similar to him, perhaps also blue hedgehogs like himself, but… If his friends were going to stay here too, then I was going to have a really hard time keeping them a secret from my family.

"You have friends?"

"Sure I do!" Sonic answered. "I can tell you about them in the morning, if you don't mind. Right now, though, I'm beat, and I kinda don't want to keep you in your wet clothes longer than you have been already."

I smiled. Despite my damp, cold, heavy clothes sticking to my skin and making me uncomfortable, I felt warm deep in my core. I hadn't even known Sonic for ten minutes, and already he seemed like a great guy to hang around with.

"Yeah, sorry I can't get you a towel right now," I apologized. "I don't want to wake my folks up, and… and I can't just tell them that an alien landed in the pool."

"I understand," Sonic nodded. "And I'll manage." I hoped he could. Sonic clearly didn't look like he could swim back there.

"So… Where are you going to sleep tonight?" I said aloud, but to myself at the same time.

"The roof's fine," opted Sonic, glancing at my confused face. "Nothing I haven't done before."

"What? But… Are you sure you don't want me to sneak you to my room or something…?"

Sonic looked me dead in the eye. "You said you're concerned about the public seeing me, right?"

Now it was my turn to nod in agreement. No one would ever think to look on the roof for an alien hedgehog who claimed to run at the speed of sound.

I watched with awe as Sonic took one mighty leap and skillfully landed on the sloped roof. I was amazed at how quiet he was upon landing. He quickly found a suitable place to recline and lay down.

"See you tomorrow?" I asked.

"Definitely," he answered with a thumbs-up.

"Okay, then. Good night, Sonic."

"Good night, Chris."

As I re-entered the house (I made sure to lock the sliding door first), I became even more ecstatic than before. I had just been talking to an _ alien_. Yes, a real live alien from outer space. And he knew English and was speaking back to me! I would have practically run back to my room, but it was still nighttime, and everyone was still asleep.

…Or so I hoped.

I took a quick listen for any signs of anyone up. The house was still quiet. Good. It was a wonder no one else had woken up to either the giant splash or the sound of us talking. I guess you could say luck was on my side. Either that, or I was just a light sleeper. Probably the latter.

I started back upstairs, making sure to tiptoe. My clothes still felt cold and stiff on me – definitely an uncomfortable feeling. I would make sure to change out of them as soon as I got back to my room.

Past the guest rooms, past Tanaka's room, past Ella's room. At last I returned to my own room. Within, my warm vacant bed awaited me. But I couldn't accept its invitation quite yet. I had to get out of these wet pajamas first. Fortunately, I had a pair of identical PJs. So I locked the door, took the pajamas, and changed out of my wet pajamas and into the fresh, clean, dry ones. Already I felt much cozier, but that wouldn't do anything to dry my wet hair. Oh well.

But what to do with the wet pajamas? I decided to stuff them under my bed for the night. I made a mental reminder to put them in the hamper first thing in the morning. Already there had been too much noise this night.

I also headed to the bathroom and used a towel to dry myself off as best I could. I would have to sleep with wet hair, but it couldn't be helped. Once I was finished, I popped the towel in the hamper and returned to my room.

Before I hit the hay, I took one more look out at the moonlit patio. I knew Sonic was sleeping right above my room, and smiled as I crawled into bed. I knew it was no use trying to sleep that night, but I needed to. School would start Monday. There would be plenty of opportunity to talk with Sonic tomorrow.

Looking at the window, I realized that I had wished for friends before going to sleep, and this thought made me even more happy than I thought was possible.

Sonic the Hedgehog was the answer to my wish.

I eventually closed my eyes and started counting sheep. Soon I drifted off to sleep, completely happy. My wish had come true. This was undoubtedly the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, readers! The first chapter of many in this rewrite of Sonic X! Not to brag, but I think this might be the longest (in chapter length), most accurate (to reality), and one of the best Sonic X rewrites out there! Now I know that many Sonic fans are critical of Chris, but I tried to redefine his personality. You should see this come to light in the coming chapters.
> 
> Sonic X is now on Netflix, and what better time to post this revamped rewrite than now! I know I'm a day late, but who cares.
> 
> I would put my list of differences here, but I accidentally closed my browser and deleted all my work. I've lost motivation to retype it for now, but I will eventually retype it.
> 
> Well, I think that about wraps up this chapter. Wow, was it long - roughly 22,000 words, in fact. There will not be a set update schedule, but I hope to get the "Sonic to the Rescue" rewrite up later this month!
> 
> I'm hoping to get not just rave reviews, as any good fanfiction writer strives for, but also constructive criticism. Help this story to become great! I want to know any weaknesses you see that I don't, and I'll correct them. Also, if you do make some fanart for this story, link it to me! I have a DeviantArt account now, so I'll be able to comment on it.
> 
> Next time, Sonic reunites with some of his friends, and breaks into the government facility known as Area 99! Don't miss it!


	2. Big Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic breaks into the top-secret government facility known as Area 99 to break out two of his friends. Rewrite adaptation of Episode 2, "Sonic to the Rescue".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 2! This is a rewrite of "Sonic to the Rescue", which is slightly heavier than the last chapter. The chapter name "Big Brother" is a double entendre. It can mean Sonic being a big brother to Chris, but it can also be the slang nickname given to the government.
> 
> For anyone wondering, I pinpointed Station Square just north of Los Angeles, California, right near where Highway 101 is closest to the Pacific Ocean. The city of Santa Barbara would be part of Station Square in this rewrite, so if you live in or near Santa Barbara, let me know if you got to see Sonic!
> 
> As of the original writing of this chapter, I had never seen the Metarex Saga. Now I see why people love it almost as much as the Shadow Saga. When you're getting close to the end, you actually forget you're watching the same show that had a monster of the week formula and loosely-connected plot points. I'm looking forward to rewriting episodes 67, 68, 71, and 73.
> 
> With that being said, let's get on to what matters most: the story!

**Thorndyke Mansion** ** \- Chris's room — August 20; 8:02 AM — Chris' POV**

Morning couldn't possibly have come fast enough. Or so I would have thought, had I not finally fallen asleep at around 5:30 AM. I was simply too excited. I mean, an _ alien _ fell into my pool! How cool is that? On top of that, it — no, _ he _ — was the answer to the wish I made last night!

I woke up at the usual time at eight in the morning. I was a little tired, which was to be expected; I had only gotten a total of about seven hours of sleep. This was all on account of sheer excitement, like the pure joy of a kid on Christmas morning. My wish had come true.

But there was one question lingering in the back of my mind. Was this really too good to be true? Could Sonic really become my friend? Sure, he seemed friendly enough, but there was also a cocky demeanor to him, as if he was confident. He was also… _ unique _. I mean, how many people can claim to run at the speed of sound? I had yet to see him back this claim, so for now, I had to take his word for it.

Stretching, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and climbed out of bed. Then I remembered: the wet pajamas I had stored under my bed. Reaching down, I picked up the now-stiff PJs. They were only slightly damp, but I figured they would dry quickly, and Ella wouldn't know the difference, unless she were to pick up the scent of chlorine.

I left my room and headed into the bathroom. Locking the door behind me, I immediately tossed the previously pool-soaked pajamas in the hamper before preparing to brush my teeth. Pool-soaked. Then I remembered Mom's rules.

She had said I was not allowed to swim at night under any circumstances, or swim without at least one of my guardians present. I had broken both rules in one instance. How could I possibly make this up to Mom? I knew that she didn't know now, but as she was my mom, I knew she would eventually find out, even if I didn't want her to. Moms tend to have that uncanny ability. I needed to apologize at the next opportunity.

Minutes later, I finished brushing my teeth, washing my face, and doing my other morning duties. As I headed back to my room to change, I realized that it would be very difficult to apologize this time. I should just 'fess up. Nothing to it, right? Normally, that would be the case. But here we were dealing with an alien that could have drowned, and I couldn't just tell my mom that an alien fell in the pool. She wouldn't possibly buy my story.

But _ then _... then I thought of the perfect explanation. Why had I not thought of it before? I decided to put my plan into action the next time Mom called. But for now, it was time to get on with the rest of my day.

No wait… if Sonic was resting right above my room, why not say good morning to my new acquaintance?

I picked up my iPhone 7 which was lying on the nightstand. Having received it for my tenth birthday, it was one of my favorite birthday gifts ever. Since then, I had taken great care of it. Some of my favorite mobile games included Angry Birds and Candy Crush.

I had pocketed my phone and opened the door to the balcony. Having a balcony right off my room was pretty awesome. It offered a stunning view of the pools and the yard. I looked up at the roof, and sure enough, there was the blue alien hedgehog reclining there.

"Good morning, Sonic," I greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

Sonic looked down at me. "Morning, Chris. Pretty well, all things considered."

I looked down at the vacant adult pool beneath the balcony. "You miss your home world, don't you?"

Sonic did a half-shrug. "A little. Could be worse." But I knew that, deep down, he really missed his home planet. I wanted to help him safely get back home in any way I could.

But how?

Just as I was about to ask how I could help him, my phone rang. I removed it from my pocket and saw who the caller was.

"It's Mom," I said to no one in particular. I knew she would call some time soon, but not _ this _ soon. It was time to face the music.

I pressed to button to answer the phone and held it up to my ear. "Hi, Mom!" I greeted.

"Hello, Chris! It's so good to hear your voice again!" Mom replied. "I called to tell you I have good news and bad news."

Uh-oh.

"What's the bad news?" I asked, even though I had a feeling I already knew what it was.

"You know my movie _ Valencia _ I'm shooting here in England? Well, we had a bit of a setback. A freak weather system dumped inches of rain on and off for the past four days. The weathermen say it won't let up until maybe Monday. Our outdoor shoots have been delayed as a result."

"Does this mean your coming is delayed as well?" I asked, trying to hide my imminent dejection. I really hoped this was not the case. It had been too long since I saw Mom in person.

"I'm sorry, dear," Mom replied regretfully. "Reschedule for next Friday?"

"…Yeah, I guess," I replied.

I was devastated again. Just last night, Dad said he couldn't come until later, and now Mom also had to be delayed. Sure, I'd been putting up with this for years, but life was just so unfair!

"On the bright side," Lindsey continued, "I've been able to use my down time to do a little shopping. I got you lots of gifts, including your favorite cotton candy." I beamed. "They'll arrive in two days' time by air."

"Thanks, Mom!"

Now was the moment of truth. Now was the time to apologize. I took a deep breath.

"How are things at home, dear?" Mom asked.

"Pretty normal," I replied before taking a deep breath. "But… I want to apologize for something I did last night."

Lindsey paused for a moment. I took it she was surprised. "Chris... what did you do?"

I stared at the ground in shame. "I… I was in the adult pool by myself last night…"

Lindsey was quiet for a moment. I didn't know whether to take this as a good thing or not, but it could mean trouble. I knew Mom loved me very much, but anything she said went.

"Thank you for your honesty, Chris," Mom finally answered. "But this begs the question: whatever gave you the idea to swim at night?"

I had to choose my next words carefully. One small slip-up could result in disaster, both for me and for Sonic.

Speaking of disaster, Mr. Tanaka arrived to place my breakfast on the table outside. What was so bad about that? Well, for one thing, Ella knew I normally came downstairs for breakfast first thing in the morning. Because I didn't this morning, her suspicions would be aroused. Actually, they _ were _ aroused now, for she had to send Tanaka to bring breakfast to me!

For another, with Tanaka standing right there, I couldn't go on with my explanation, or he might get suspicious.

Fortunately, the butler was gone just as quickly as he arrived, but this did nothing to alleviate Mom's impatience.

"Chris? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I was just… distracted. What was your question again?"

"Why were you in the pool last night?" Mom repeated.

"I woke up when I heard a splash in the pool. When I looked out the window, I saw that it was a… a cat." I threw a nervous glance up at Sonic, who visibly cringed a little. I had to explain things to him when I was done this call.

"And you got it out," Mom finished the story.

"Yeah."

"Chris… I love you, and you have a big heart, but next time, please call for Tanaka, and he can take care of things, okay?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Oh, hold on a minute," Lindsey said suddenly. After a moment's pause, she returned. "Dear, I must run. There was a change of plans, and the director needs me for an indoor scene right away. Kiss kiss," she said affectionately, and we made kissing sounds over the receiver; something we had done ever since I was little.

After Mom hung up, I sighed with relief. That was a close one. I know Sonic was in no way a cat, but I couldn't just _ not _ tell her; she would eventually find out. Hopefully my spin on this story went well with her.

Actually, I should have been thinking the same about Sonic, for he leaped down onto the railing next to me. He looked slightly irritated.

"Uh, Chris, that 'cat' you mentioned… That's supposed to be me, right…?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I apologized, feeling a little guilty, "but Mom wouldn't understand if I told her I rescued a hedgehog, let alone an alien like you."

"Gotcha," Sonic nodded, relaxing a bit. "This confirms my thoughts, actually."

Relieved, I set my phone down on the small table and sat down to eat. "What do you mean?"

"Well, last night, when I was on the run from the cops, they called me an alien. I took it they never saw anyone like me on this planet before. I guess that means I really am an alien here."

"That's fascinating," I replied. But what the blue hedgehog said next blew me away.

"You know what else is fascinating? They've got humans on my world, too, but we tend to go our own separate ways."

The phone rang again. Checking the caller, I saw that it was Dad. Oh no. The situation over there couldn't get much worse.

You see, Mom tended to gossip to everyone she knew about all kinds of stuff, and Dad was one of her number one recipients. This meant he probably found out already. Sonic would have to brace himself for further misunderstandings and explanations.

"It's Dad," I told the hedgehog before taking the call. Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but notice a thoughtful expression the hedgehog was taking on.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Son!" Dad spoke. "You mom just called and told me about your emergency rescue last night."

I too needed to brace myself. The danger of Sonic's exposure was far from over.

"I'm proud of you, Chris," he continued, "but what you did was dangerous. This is exactly why we enforced the pool rules."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Dad," I apologized. "It won't happen again."

"I hope not," Dad responded. "Y'know, if a stray cat can easily enter the premises without so much as setting off the alarm, then I'll need to update the security system."

No stray animal could enter our property, not with the fences and tall hedges encompassing our property. But I knew that Sonic had most likely fallen into the pool from directly above. He _ did _ say, after all, that he ran off a cliff at just under the speed of sound. That would account for his breaking and entering.

"Yeah, it _ could _ use an upgrade," I lied.

"Then I'll put that on my ever-growing to-do list," Nelson reminded himself. "Did the cat by any chance attack you during your rescue?"

I didn't even need to look to sense a heavy cringe coming from Sonic. "Uh, no Dad. It ran off as soon as it touched dry ground."

"Well, like your mom said, you are very brave, but you really should tell your guardians about it next time something like that happens," Dad nearly echoed Mom's words. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Oh, by the way, did you hear about the alien in Station Square last night?"

That hit me like a bombshell. I nearly paled. I didn't count on Sonic making such a big splash into the world, and I'm not talking about the pool. Social media. Why didn't I think of that? By now, he'd be all over the news.

"Wh-what? Really?" I played dumb, struggling to keep my voice level.

"It's trending everywhere – Twitter, The Daily Mail, Drudge. You haven't checked the news yet, have you?"

"No," I replied. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Again, I'm sorry I'm not able to come. This new hard drive we're working on is pretty complex, and needs my personal supervision. Plus, we've got a tight deadline to meet. I will try to work things out with your mother so we can both come home in time for your cousin Matt's arrival."

"Matt's finished college already?" I asked. "I can't wait to see him again!" Matt was my older cousin; he was twenty-two years old, the son of Dad's older brother, and nearly finished his fourth year of college last I heard. Unfortunately, he didn't live here at Thorndyke Mansion, but he lived out in Minneapolis instead.

"In the case we're not there then, please tell him we said hi," Dad requested. "Sorry, I need to go. I'm on a tight schedule, and our new AI products won't supervise themselves. Take care, Chris."

"Bye, Dad."

After I hung up the phone, I turned to Sonic. He was still cringing a little.

"Okay, it's done," I reassured him, pocketing my phone and returning to breakfast. "Sorry for the whole 'cat' thing."

The hedgehog shrugged. "It's fine," he said, to my relief. "You were just covering for me, which I totally understand. Besides, this planet's never seen a Mobian before."

"Mobian?" I mumbled around a mouthful of eggs. That sounded all Greek to me. I assumed it had absolutely nothing to do with Moebius strips.

"That's what my species is called," he explained, eyeing my toast, ham, eggs, and orange juice. "My friends are Mobians, too."

Just then Sonic's stomach rumbled. Oh no! I realized, he must not have eaten since he arrived! And since I had no clue what these "Mobians" eat, I was in trouble.

"Did you eat since you arrived?" I asked.

"Nope. Not a bite since early last night." He jumped off of the railing. "You got any chili dogs around here?"

So Mobians ate human food. What a relief. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, we do."

"Yes!" Sonic almost shouted, before saying something about chili dogs being his favorite food of all time.

I chuckled. "I'll see if I can sneak you downstairs as soon as I'm done breakfast."

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion — August 20; 8:23 AM — Chris' POV**

"Now, you gotta stay close, Sonic," I cautioned the hedgehog as we stepped inside my room, "and stay extra quiet. I don't want to run any risks here, and if any of my guardians see you, I'm going to have a really hard time trying to explain my way out of it."

"Don't want to have that, now do we?" he agreed.

As I approached the door, Sonic looked around the room. It wasn't overly messy, so there wasn't anything to be embarrassed over.

"Nice room you got, Chris," he complimented.

I didn't reply right away, for I was busy looking up and down the hallway to see if anyone was coming. I didn't expect anyone, but the chances were highest Ella would come to check up on me. Fortunately, the coast was clear.

Nodding, I stepped out into the hallway and motioned for Sonic to follow. Together we crept down the corridor. There was no one in sight.

"This feels like sneaking through one of Eggman's bases," remarked Sonic.

"Who's Eggman?" I asked just before hearing a sound come from the stairs. "Never mind!" I urgently whispered. "Into the guest room, quick!"

"You're not having any guests over, are you?" Sonic asked as he hurried into the room.

"Other than you, no!" I replied.

As soon as he was in, I shut the door behind him and continued walking as if nothing was amiss. Granted, it was hard to keep a straight face and not look like I was shoving a hedgehog into one of our many bedrooms.

Then I saw the source of the noise: Ella was just reaching the top of the stairs with an empty basket of laundry.

"Well, good morning, Chris!" she greeted as we exchanged hugs. She was indeed like a second mother in a way. "I was going to do the laundry, and figured I would check up on you. It's not like you to wait in your room for so long before breakfast."

Oh, that was a close one. Had I left my room any later, I would have been busted.

"Yeah, I know, but Mom and Dad called, so… yeah." I stuck my hands in my pockets. "Unfortunately Mom is delaying her visit too, but she and Dad are working on coming home in time for Matt's arrival."

Ella smiled. "Well, that's good to hear," she said. "Where are you off to?"

It only took a second to figure out what I wanted to do. "I think I'll join Grandpa in the lab."

"All right, Chris," Ella said before heading to the bathroom to collect the laundry. Hopefully she wouldn't think twice about my damp pajamas. I headed toward the stairs so as not to arouse suspicion, but did not descend them yet. When Ella was out of sight, I ran back to the guest room and opened the door.

"Hurry!" I urgently whispered. Sonic emerged from the room, and I made sure to close the door before heading for the stairs.

As we cautiously descended the grand marble staircase, I looked around to see where Tanaka or Chuck might be. No sign of either of them. This was both a good thing and a bad thing.

"Not much further now," I told Sonic as we reached the bottom of the mansion's double staircase.

"Some place you have here," remarked Sonic as he looked around the house.

"Thanks," I said. "I'm proud to call this place home."

A few tense moments later, we finally reached the kitchen. It felt strange to want to avoid my guardians like this. I opened the fridge, and inside were the wrapped leftover chili dogs in a plastic container. We had had them for lunch two days ago.

"Y'know, it's a good thing you're able to eat the kind of food we do," I remarked.

"Why is that?" asked a curious Sonic as he popped a chili dog into the microwave.

"According to my science teacher, Earth hedgehogs normally eat cat food or crickets."

"Yikes," Sonic held back a shiver. "Then I guess I'm glad I'm not an Earth hedgehog. I take it Earth is the name of this planet?"

"That's right," I answered. "I think we should turn on the news; maybe they're talking about you."

"I _ did _ see a news helicopter during my chase last night, so yeah, I guess I'm an overnight celebrity now," Sonic remarked as he watched the microwave spin.

A moment later, Sonic had his chili dog ready (he preferred them fresh, but beggars can't be choosers), and we walked into the living room. Good thing no one else was around to see Sonic. Ella was taking care of the laundry, Tanaka was in the backyard watering the garden (last I saw him), and Grandpa was in the lab (I assumed). So it was just me and Sonic as we sat on the couch. I turned on the giant, 60-inch flat-screen TV (supplied by Starship Soft), and switched on Channel 4 News, only to find they were on a commercial break. However, the commercials ended just then, and renowned local newscaster Scarlet Garcia appeared on screen. She was wearing an orange pantsuit as usual.

"One of the biggest headlines today, an extraterrestrial creature has appeared downtown last night, causing quite the commotion throughout the city."

To be honest, it felt strange seeing Sonic on TV, especially since he was sitting right next to me. But that wasn't all.

"Police were quick to respond, but the alien was even quicker, managing to elude them by reportedly running at speeds exceeding even the S-Team's maximum car speeds. The aforementioned S-Team were deployed, but they have failed to catch the alien, which reportedly broke the sound barrier, causing damage to S-Team leader Sam Speed's windshield. There are no reports of injuries."

I watched clip after clip of Sonic, thoroughly amazed at just how fast he could run, even though he had told me just last night he could perform this seemingly impossible feat.

"Y-you really _ can _ run at the speed of sound!" I marveled. "You're actually the first to get away from my uncle, you know?"

Sonic's eyes went wide. "That Highway Star guy's your _ uncle?! _" he almost shouted at the coincidence, and I had to motion for him to quiet down.

"Yeah," I whispered, before admonishing him. "Not so loud. The others can't know about you yet."

"Sorry," Sonic replied, before we turned our attention back to the TV.

"Eyewitness reports claim the alien is 'at least three and a half feet tall', 'hedgehog-like', and 'impossibly fast'. Police report that the alien successfully cleared a roadblock set up on Highway 101, as well as escaped from Sam Speed's S-Team. Joining me now is University of California Station Square biologist Dr. Kai Narasu, claiming he has an interesting theory on the origin of this alien. So, Dr. Narasu, you say this extraterrestrial creature isn't alien to Earth?"

"That's right," Narasu responded. "It's impossible for any organic being to run in excess of even thirty miles per hour. Even the cheetah can't run that quickly. So the most logical conclusion is that it must be some kind of government machine being test run on the streets without prior warning. Kind of like a UFO."

"Well… that's very… interesting," Scarlet warily replied.

The interview continued, but I was looking at Sonic incredulously. No way was he a machine. He was flesh and blood, just like me. I knew that first-hand when I rescued him from that pool last night.

"Is the guy crazy or what?" Sonic remarked upon hearing the interview.

"He really is. But they don't really know much about you, so they're only speculating at this point."

Just then I heard footsteps just outside the side door. I had let my guard down, and now it was too late to tell Sonic to hide, especially since it sounded like whoever it was was running.

The door was thrown open, and Grandpa came running in.

"Chris, are you watching the—"

He stopped dead in his tracks, gaze fixated on Sonic. This was really bad… and _ really _ awkward. My heart nearly skipped a beat. All I could do is hope that Grandpa wouldn't call Tanaka and Ella down to see… that is, _ if _ they hadn't seen the news themselves already. Sonic looked at me, as if asking if he should leave now. I shook my head; it was too late. We were good and caught, all because I let my guard down.

Imagine being in Grandpa's position. He had been up in his lab watching the news, and saw an alien on TV. Then he came running in, only to see _ that same alien _ in the house _ sitting with his grandson _. That must have sent a complex mess of emotions to his brain.

Grandpa finally regained his composure, but not by much, as he began to stutter in confusion.

"Grandpa, I can explain!" I tried to cover for Sonic, even though I knew there was no explaining him away this time. I was done for.

"Yes, you certainly have quite a bit of explaining to do," Grandpa said, speaking full English once more.

"Yeah, I'll explain, Grandpa; just don't tell Ella or Tanaka _ please _!"

"Why not?"

"They can't know yet!" I pleaded. "Just don't tell!"

"Okay, fine," Grandpa said. I felt a little relief, but not much.

"Well, last night—"

"Guys, look at this!" came Sonic's voice from the couch. I darted over and, swiping up the remote from the coffee table, rewound the TV to the part that Sonic saw.

"Also, we received this picture from an eyewitness last night showing what could be two other beings from the alien's planet. They were discovered around 2:30 in the morning, just after the alien appeared in Station Square. They are either alien, or machine as Dr. Narasu thought. Authorities, who have removed them from this billboard, declined to comment."

A picture appeared on the screen, showing a rabbit-like… Mobian, did he say he was?… as well as a blob-like being the Mobian was holding. The Mobian was a small girl, and I had to admit, she was cute. The blob had a bow tie and a small yellow ball floating above it (do physics apply where they live?).

"Cream and Cheese…" Sonic whispered.

"Who?" I asked, before it clicked in my brain. Those were their _ names _…

"Are they your friends?" I followed up, to which Sonic solemnly replied "Yes." I had not seen him look this serious since he arrived. "They're just kids…" he spoke softly. "They can't be taken by police like this…"

Chuck looked concerned. "I need to make a call," he announced out of the blue before leaving the room. "I'll be back in a moment!" he called behind him.

As Grandpa left the room, Sonic turned to me. "What is it he does around here?" he asked.

"He's my Grandpa Chuck," I answered, and Sonic raised a brow slightly. "He's also a professor who likes tinkering with gadgets and making new stuff."

"Chuck…" Sonic repeated, as if reminiscing. "I used to have an uncle with that name… Chuck — your grandpa, that is — kinda reminds me of another one of my friends," remarked Sonic. "So, uh… it's just you two and the guy who gave you your breakfast earlier?"

"You mean our butler Mr. Tanaka? No, we also have our maid Ella. I think you would like her; she makes some of the best food I've ever had."

"So it's you, your grandpa, the butler, and the maid," he summed up, before looking at me with concern. "Where are your parents? I know you were talking with them this morning, and I get the impression they're not always here for you."

My parents, as you may know, are a rough patch in my life. "Yeah… I… I don't really see them a lot. They're always out doing their jobs, and they only come a couple times a year."

Sonic took on a look of pure sympathy. This was completely unlike the fake sympathy I received at school, which wasn't much anyway, because I never told anyone. No, this was _ genuine _. Sonic was the first person in my life outside my family to be truly sympathetic about my situation with my parents.

"Poor kid," he whispered. "It's been hard for you here, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," I said. "But I'm used to it, I guess."

"So… What is it your parents do?" he asked, trying to lighten the subject a little with a playful smile.

"Well... Nelson, my dad, is a billionaire tycoon who owns Starship Soft, which I think is probably the world's biggest appliance company. My mom Lindsey is a famous Hollywood actress."

Sonic smirked. "You must be pretty lucky to be one of the richest kids on this planet."

I chuckled. "Yeah, it does have its advantages."

The more I spoke with Sonic, the more I found myself liking him. Not only was he unique, but he actually cared about me! He even had superpowers. How cool is that? Not to mention his emerald green eyes were kinda mesmerizing…

At that moment Grandpa stepped back into the room. Having just finished his call, he placed his phone in his labcoat pocket.

"That was Professor Pell," he said. To Sonic, he explained, "Alexander Pell is a professor and old college friend of mine. Anyway, I called about your friends we saw on TV. Alex has a link with the local news crew, and was told that they were tranquilized and quietly taken away in the middle of the night by the government. He believes they were taken to Area 99."

"What?!" I gasped.

"Area 99? What's that?" Sonic asked.

"Area 99 is a top-secret military base located about a hundred miles east of here," explained Grandpa. "That's where they test the latest government equipment. Anyone who found out too much about the government's projects within mysteriously disappeared, not to mention trespassers are shot on sight."

An eerie silence filled the room. Sonic's friends were taken _ there _? That sounded terrible. Anyone who entered Area 99 like that would most likely never come out again. What a ghastly way to go.

"Mondo creepy…" Sonic muttered.

"Follow me," Grandpa instructed. He headed to the side door and opened it for me and Sonic before following us. I knew we were heading for the garage, but what for? Was was Grandpa up to? Well, let's just say I did _ not _ like that glee in his eye.

"You never told me your name," Grandpa said to Sonic.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," he replied.

"Hm. Interesting name. I think your friends, Sonic, were taken to the research and development wing of Area 99, most likely because they're aliens."

"No problem," quipped Sonic. "I can break in there, get them out, and be back in less than an hour. Just point the way."

"Sonic, that's hopelessly reckless!" I argued. He may run at the speed of the sound, but on top of that, he's _ cocky _? No way was I going to let him break into a top-secret government base. But the other side of the equation posed a new question:

_ Don't you _ want _ Sonic to rescue his friends? _

Yeah… I do…

"I'm the fastest thing alive," answered Sonic with a cocky grin that spelled trouble. "If anything, I'll give them a run for their money!"

"But still..." I trailed off as we entered the garage. Grandpa headed for one of the shelves.

"While I may have no reason to doubt your skills, I'm afraid it's not that easy," he said. "And you can't go alone, Sonic…" he said. Glad to see _ someone's _ on my side. "…not without the right equipment." He pulled out a pair of devices. "We can stay in touch with these."

"A radio?" Sonic fingered the utensil Grandpa gave to him. "Looks like something Tails would make."

Tails? Who was he? Was he another friend of Sonic's? Or was it a she?

"It's also an infrared scope," Grandpa explained. "I've believed for years that Area 99 has infrared security lasers, and rumors have come out confirming this. And since Area 99 has some of the tightest security in America, the scope will come in handy."

Sonic slipped his headset on, and I couldn't help but notice just how much like Vegeta he looked.

"Now I would highly discourage going in there guns ablaze, so try to find an air duct or something to get in."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Sonic nodded. "Mind if you give me a general idea of what Area 99 looks like?"

"It's basically a pair of runways with several buildings here and there. Most of it's underground, from what I hear. Anyway, it's about a hundred miles east of here, out in the middle of the desert. As it's isolated, I think you should expect to lose contact until you get back into town; these things have great reception, but not _ that _ great."

"Gotcha," the hedgehog replied.

"But then we won't know if Sonic got them out!" I protested.

"Sure you will, kiddo," reassured Sonic, having no effect on me. "Well, gotta juice. I'll keep in touch."

With that, he bolted out of the garage, nearly blowing me over, but I caught myself just in time. He was a real speed demon.

Not that long ago, there was this Internet spectacle where a bunch of guys said they would storm Area 99. Only seventy or so people showed up at the gate, but this time, Sonic was actually going inside in broad daylight. And to think he would become a great friend. Now he was being cocky and reckless!

"He's going to break into Area 99, Grandpa! Why didn't you stop him?"

Grandpa sighed. "Would you rather his friends continue to be experimented on?"

I thought about it. "N-no," I spoke. "They looked so young, so… helpless. They don't deserve this treatment."

"You're right," Grandpa said. "Which is why I'm glad we have someone who _ can _ rescue them on our side. If he is as confident as he says he is, then there is a chance that he can get his friends out of Area 99."

"But…" I trailed off as Grandpa started to climb into the driver's seat of the car.

"Trust me, Chris," Grandpa urged. "I have confidence that Sonic will rescue his friends without being caught. Do you?"

I was speechless. Sonic was already a caring person, as I had seen earlier, and here he was thrusting himself into the depths of Area 99 to rescue his friends. But I was distracted as to why Grandpa was in the car.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I figured we could go bowling together, just you and me. You know, to take your mind off things. Besides, you've wanted to go one more time before school starts again."

While I couldn't guarantee the part where it could take my mind off of Sonic potentially breaking the federal law and getting shot, I decided to take up his offer anyway.

"All right," I accepted.

"Great. Let me just write this note letting Ella and Tanaka know we'll be away."

He pulled out a memo and spent a few moments writing on it, using the dashboard as a desk and a pen randomly lying on the floor of the car. Once finished, he got out of the car and attached it to the outside of the small door next to the large garage door.

"Why not tell them in person?" I wondered.

"Because I don't want them coming in the garage and potentially seeing Sonic and his friends," he responded, "so I'm keeping them out under the guise of a 'secret project'."

"Great idea," I approved.

"Now then, are we ready to go?" he asked.

"Ready," I nodded as Grandpa climbed back into the car and started the motor.

As we backed out of the driveway, I still couldn't shake the feeling that Sonic was going to get himself arrested or captured… or worse.

* * *

**Area 99 — August 20; 8:55 AM — Third-person POV**

Having just come off his breakfast break, Ray Browning strolled down the hallway that led to Sector D. Yesterday had been quite the day for him. In fact, he had only gotten about two hours of sleep last night. The reason was quite simple: extraterrestrial life.

The clean-shaven forty-something man would never in his wildest imagination have believed that alien life really actually existed. And yet there were reports of an alien in nearby Station Square just last night. The hedgehog-like one had evaded the police and even their special Speed Division branch, but that was not his field of jurisdiction. No, his responsibility was to oversee the collection of two possibly related alien species: one rabbit-like, and the other blob-like.

When his team of government vehicles arrived to remove them from the GEICO billboard near Highway 101, they had no idea what to expect. Surely the aliens could attack them. But they didn't. In fact, the aliens sounded pitiful when they were carefully tranquilized, removed from the billboard, and loaded into the back of a government van. Even though Ray himself wasn't there to watch, when he received the report that his team had collected the aliens, he felt nothing short of giddy. No way would he sleep tonight. He really wanted to see them in person, but took nearly two hours for the van to arrive, and another two to set up the containment chamber that would store the aliens, and long before then he decided it was his bedtime. He would have stayed up to see them, but thought it would take quite a while longer to prepare. No way would he sleep tonight. Good thing he had a melatonin pill and Internet.

Ray had gotten barely two hours of sleep in. He was so excited that he had actually captured an extraterrestrial creature. _ Two _ of them, in fact! Were they intelligent? What were their capabilities? Where were they from? He would have to find out firsthand soon.

At last he decided he had enough with trying to get any more sleep. As much as he wanted to see the aliens first, he had other priorities to do. He wasn't head of the Research and Development division of Area 99 for nothing.

One seemingly endless breakfast break later, it was finally time. Time to see the aliens. Time to learn something new.

Ray entered through an automatic sliding door that led to a side corridor and paused in front of the door to Room D-21. While he didn't particularly care for the new eye scanners that had been installed a few years ago, he figured it was for the best and beggars can't be choosers.

He bent down and let the device scan his eye. F219563 had been his ID number for the eight years he was head of the Research and Development division. At last, the device gave a beep, a tiny LED light turned green, and the door unlocked. He tried to hold in his excitement as he entered the decidedly crowded room. A female scientist approached him.

"Sir, the specimens have regained consciousness just ten minutes ago and await testing," she reported.

"Thank you, Catherine," Ray responded. "How are their vital signs?"

"Stable," came the response.

Ray looked around for the two aliens. It didn't take him long to spot them. Sure enough, there were the rabbit-like and blob-like aliens. He had to admit, they looked… cute, but he reminded himself to stick to his job and not play with the animals.

"Okay," Ray instructed to the scientists in the laboratory, "we will need to run several more scans and see how their immune, digestive and respiratory systems work. Especially the blue one. We'll start with a heat signature."

"Yes, sir," several scientists responded as they headed to their various posts at the computers.

"Wh-wh-where are we?" came a strange high-pitched, childlike voice from the containment chamber. "Wh-what are you going to d-do with us?"

To say that everyone was taken aback was something of an understatement. No way would they have thought the rabbit-like alien could speak, let alone English.

"Chao chao!" the smaller alien responded.

"They're far more intelligent than we previously thought," one scientist whispered to Ray, "even to a human-like degree."

Ray nodded. This was starting to become a scientific breakthrough. He tried to hide his excitement.

"Please, could you please let us out?" the rabbit-like alien pleaded. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

Ray knew that if anyone could speak or understand English, then they could be communicated or negotiated with.

Ray cleared his throat and approached the containment chamber. "I'm sorry," he tried to say as evenly as he could, "but we are not permitted to release you at this time."

It seemed that an air of depression was added to the alien's fear. "But… why not?" it asked.

As cute and potentially young as the alien was, Ray did not want to hurt its feelings. Yet this was business, and he couldn't compromise work with sympathy.

"We can't take any unnecessary risks. For one, we don't trust that you're not part of an attack on this planet or whatever, and for another, we're not done experimenting with you."

That seemed to strike a chord with the alien. "E-Experimenting?" she squeaked. "Wh-what kind of place is this?"

"I'm sorry, but that's classified," Ray responded curtly. He turned back just as one of the scientists reported: "Heat signature complete, sir."

"Let me see." Ray rushed over to the screen and studied the image generated. "Interesting," he mused as he saw the various hues that made up the aliens' heat signatures. "Pretty much what I expected it to be. Okay, now the respiratory system test."

"Beginning respiratory system test."

The scientist named Catherine approached the aliens. "I'm sorry you both have to be put through these tests," she said sympathetically. "I really am. But you see, we've never had anyone of your kind here before."

"You… haven't?"

Catherine didn't know how to answer that question. But before she could respond, Ray spoke up.

"We're not here to socialize, Catherine."

"Sorry!" the scientist responded before heading back to her post at one of the monitors. But with a wan smile, she turned back to the aliens to say: "Don't worry. You two won't be here forever. Just hang in there, and you'll be out before you know it, okay?" She said this quietly so as not to make her boss think there was a conspiracy going on.

The bunny-like alien cracked a small smile, as if it took a liking to Catherine. Already these aliens were so sweet and childlike. Catherine had a big heart for children, which made her want to get these tests over with faster so they could see the light of day once more.

"Respiratory system scan complete."

Ray leaned toward the screen to chance at the monitor.

"Interesting," he mused. "It greatly resembles that of a human's respiratory system. Just as I thought. Now on to the immune system scan."

"How long will we be here?" the alien asked, not sounding as scared as before thanks to Catherine's soothing and reassuring words.

"Oh, could be two or three months," Ray answered. "But until the government gives the order, you can't leave the facility."

The rabbit-like alien sat down on the floor of her tube-like chamber and leaned against the wall. She didn't like everyone staring at her just because she was different. Were these all… humans? She had never had much experience with humans before.

"Is Mr. Sonic here on this planet?" she spoke to no one in particular as the first tears started to leak from her eyes. "Will he come and rescue us?"

Even though the blob-like alien was just as scared as it's companion, it landed next to the bunny, and she scooped it up into her gentle arms, and they cuddled, waiting for their hedgehog in shining armor to rescue them from the frightful bowels of Area 99.

* * *

**The desert — August 20; 8:56 AM — Sonic's POV**

I knew Area 99 would be hard to find, but I didn't think for a moment it would be this _ hard _. Then again, barren desert for miles in every direction seemed to have that effect. Everything's harder to find in a desert, especially water.

I'd been running for the past twenty or so minutes trying to find something that should be much larger than a needle in a haystack. I mean, how hard was it to find a giant military base in the middle of the desert? Then again, it _ was _ top secret. I just hoped I would find it before long, for Cream and Cheese's sakes…

The fact that those two were getting experimented on in there by unknowing human scientists was _ mondo _ uncool. They only just got here; they didn't deserve this treatment. This kind of next-level animal cruelty wouldn't fly back home on Mobius.

What kind of experiments were being done, I didn't care to think about, though they probably had to do with my friends being aliens to this planet. Yet _ I _ was an alien, and they hadn't experimented on me. I guess that was what the cops wanted me for last night, but I was too fast for 'em. I had to hand it to them, human law enforcement was intelligent, but sometimes they could be really shortsighted.

It was pretty lonely out there, which made me wonder who could live all the way out here. I did see the occasional gas station, road, and signpost every now and then, but man, it was dead quiet out there in the desert. And to think that Station Square was right at the edge of this wasteland. Well, _ this _ Station Square, anyway, but you know what I mean.

At last, I thought I made a breakthrough. From the top of a nearby cliff, I saw some pretty ominous things right off the bat:

A radio tower.

A runway.

Barbed wire fences.

I think I found what I had been looking for. Time to check in with the chief. Fortunately, the radio was wireless, so all I needed to do was speak.

"Yo Chuck, you there?"

A moment passed, but I got no reply. We were extremely far away from each other, and I wasn't surprised to hear only static from Chuck's end. It was just like he said: these things were past cool, but still couldn't carry a field of a hundred plus miles. I was on my own for sure.

So I began running toward Area 99's fence at a reasonably quick speed. Closer and closer the fences got. I could do this. It's nothing I hadn't done before. It was almost just like Eggman's base, but with human security guards instead of robots. Not to mention I had to rescue Cream and Cheese again. It was uncannily like last night, but this time, I was on an alien world that was mysteriously similar to my own.

I reached the fence in about thirteen seconds flat, and prepared myself for the leap. Shame; there weren't any robots to trash around those parts. Oh well. I leaped over the barbed wire fence with the greatest of ease…

…only to suddenly find myself caught in the line of sight of the facility's closed-circuit surveillance. Too bad my one minute of fame didn't last long as I waved to the cameras and spin-dashed them to bits. Don't want any prying eyes to see me bust Cream out of there, now do we?

Good thing hardly anyone was out in the open. The only evidence they'd have of me being there was the broken cameras. Even then, it still wouldn't prove I broke them, unless they were smart enough to look at the surveillance videos. Aaaand they probably already saw me.

I shrugged off those thoughts as I saw a suitable entrance via air duct. Looking around to make sure I still wasn't a candid camera celebrity, I plunged into the ventilation shaft.

Way too often I would leap before I look, and yet I was careful enough to avoid certain doom. Probably should have listened to Sally those hundreds of times she chastised me about situations like this, huh?

This was one of those situations, as I never accounted for the depth of the shaft. I judged it was about a good thirty feet deep as I slid to a stop. I just hoped my butt didn't hurt too much in the morning…

My headset had nearly fallen off in the fall, so I readjusted it. They weren't the best fit, mostly because they were a little large, and they were made for human use and not Mobians. Besides, I wasn't used to running around with an infrared field in front of one eye. It was messing with my coordination something fierce.

I looked down the rest of the dark shaft ahead, and let's just say Chuck's rumors were right. Things were ugly up ahead, what with all the security lasers everywhere.

_ Nothing I can't handle, right? _

Wrong… sort of.

The dozens of lasers were obscuring the entire path in front of me starting about fifteen feet away, which made me think I picked the wrong vent to jump in. The guys running Area 99 really outdid themselves with their security measures. I carefully started crawling down the shaft, trying not to make much noise.

Eleven feet, ten, nine… The security lasers grew ever closer, and I considered turning back and returning up the shaft if my luck didn't change any time soon.

But wait…

I smiled when I heard a new sound underneath me. The sound of a grille in its resting place. Perfect. Now that I practically found my way in for real this time, things were about to get real.

Peering down through the narrow slits in the grille, I saw almost exactly what I expected to see. There was at least one camera automatically swiveling back and forth, scanning the hallway for intruders. No way would the boys at Area 99 expect an intruder of my skill and intellect. But I figured that, where there was one camera, there were bound to be more. After all, Chuck _ did _ say Area 99 had some of the highest security in the world.

Next I examined the grille itself, checking to see if it was bolted to the ceiling. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't. There weren't even so much as screws holding it in place. Smirking, I placed my hands on either side of the grille, and carefully, quietly, removed it from its place and leaned it against the metal wall. Content that it wouldn't slide, I then quickly and carefully looked down the hall. Sure enough, there were dozens of pivoting cameras lining the walls. I quickly pulled my head back up to avoid detection. Then I realized: they were studying the floor, not the ceiling. Perhaps I could use this to my advantage…

I looked down the hall again, carefully studying the cameras, looking for a noticeable pattern to their movements. Normally, I wouldn't care about surveillance, but this wasn't Eggman's base. Yet, it seemed very much like it, sans the robots. Both today and yesterday, Cream and Cheese were captured. I'd say today was more dangerous, since I had never been anywhere near Area 99 a day in my life.

At last, I noticed a pattern. For only a split second, all cameras pointed away from my location. I had to time it exactly right if I wanted to make it through this ordeal.

Every eleven and a half seconds, the cameras pointed away from me. I mentally counted to eleven and a half before leaping down and darting down the halls; although extremely carefully, as I wanted to avoid dealing with whatever Area 99 had to offer. Keeping an eye on the cameras was pretty tricky when done quickly. Then again, "quick" was my middle name. Or at the very least, one of them.

At last, I reached the end of the hall and came to the next one. To my expectation, it too had swiveling cameras. It was time to pick up the pace a little.

It was a wonder I avoided detection at that intersection. I'm not gonna lie; dodging the cameras' lines of sight was far more taxing than I thought. And yet I was doing it. I'd say if Eggman and the Area 99 guys had a surveillance contest, the trophy would go to these guys hands-down.

I couldn't do this all day. I needed some time out of the limelight.

Then I had my lucky break: a janitor's closet. It was the last thing I expected to see, but it would have to do for now.

I made a beeline for that closet, and was relieved that there were no cameras directly in front of the closet. Even better, there was a map of the facility places in front of the door. So I figured I could duck inside the closet and study the map, which is exactly what I did.

Now to find where Cream and Cheese are…

* * *

**A bowling alley — August 20; 9:16 AM — Chris' POV**

"How long has it been since Sonic left, Grandpa?" I asked somewhat impatiently as I prepared to bowl again.

Grandpa glanced down at the headset resting on his seat, then at his watch. "It's been over thirty minutes now," he stated.

Stepping forward, I released the ball and watched it coast down the lane. Unfortunately, I gave it too much spin, and it clipped only three of the pins on the left side.

"Not bad," Grandpa noted, "but try to have a little less of a spin on the ball next time."

"Okay," I answered, before my thoughts returned to Sonic. "Grandpa… Does Sonic know he's probably breaking the law? I mean, I do want him to rescue his friends, but…"

Grandpa placed a hand on my shoulder. "Chris, I know where you're coming from. You just need to have a little faith in him. Besides, if Sonic is caught, I believe he can escape his captors, just like he escaped from the police last night. I haven't known him as long as you have, but I know that he is quite resilient."

I took the next ball, and bowled my second ball toward the pins. This time, I knocked down five pins, leaving only two standing.

"Your turn," I said, backing away as Grandpa took the next ball. The pin-setting machine reset the pins.

"I hope Sonic's friends are okay," I thought. "What were their names again? I forgot."

"Cream and Cheese, if I'm right." The mention of their names reminded me of cream cheese, and I had to smile. These Mobians had unusual names that were actually not unpronounceable.

Just as Grandpa's ball knocked down seven pins, his headset crackled, prompting him to place it back on. He covered the mouthpiece.

"I'll be right back," he told me. "You can bowl my second ball."

As he headed off in the direction of the restrooms, I wondered if that was Sonic trying to contact us. Grandpa did say he expected them to lose contact until he was back in town. But if it somehow was Sonic, hopefully he was bringing good news.

I didn't know how old Cream and Cheese were, but they were certainly far too young to be experimented on or even held captive in a place like Area 99. The more I thought about it, the more I genuinely felt bad for them. They had only just got here, and this was what they had to wake up to.

But the one emotion that exceeded fear and concern for them was annoyance. Annoyance at Sonic for daring to break the American laws. But then… then I realized another emotion I seemed to be overlooking, the one thing that drove Sonic to do this.

Love.

Sonic loved Cream and Cheese. He would do _ anything _ to rescue his friends, including break the laws of a planet he had never been to (I was still iffy on that). That was true love. And for that, I was grateful.

I broke away from my thoughts to bowl Grandpa's second ball. Grandpa. How was it possible that he trusted Sonic so much where I couldn't? Maybe it was because he knew Sonic was not a machine? Or was it because he was just willing to help him?

Then I realized that the answer to this too was love. That same love was in Grandpa. He too wanted to see Cream and Cheese free. He would support Sonic in doing whatever it took to free them from Area 99.

Why wasn't I that supportive as well?!

I released the ball and watched it sail down the lane. Closer and closer it got to the pins. It looked like a clean shot. Then it collided with the pins with a satisfying crash — a perfect spare.

"Nice shot," I heard Grandpa behind me as he returned from the restroom.

"Thanks," I responded as I picked up the next ball. "So what did Sonic say?"

"He didn't," Grandpa responded. "It was a false alarm. I probably should have set the frequency to something not many people use."

I prepared to bowl again. "Y'know, Grandpa… maybe Sonic _ can _ rescue his friends after all," I said.

"You seem more confident all of a sudden," he said. "Is it a change of heart?"

"I guess you could say that," I responded as I released my ball. "I realized that, while Sonic could still be arrested… he's doing this out of love. And… and you also have that same love."

"I certainly do," Grandpa replied warmly. "You know I'm willing to help anyone in need… even those from another planet."

"But you only just met Sonic," I pointed out.

"I knew at first sight he was a special person, and not just because he's an alien," Grandpa said. "In fact, I was getting bored of the same-old, same-old, you know? I actually wanted to see him in person eventually. But never in a thousand years would I have expected to see him with you in your living room." He picked up the next ball. "You still have to tell me how he got there."

I cleared my throat, and prepared to tell him that awesome, amazing, astonishing story of how Sonic ended up in my world.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion — August 20; 9:18 AM —Third-person POV**

Ella was dusting Chris' room upstairs. She had not seen him since they met in the hall earlier that morning. It wasn't like him to leave the house without saying where he was going. He _ did _ say, however, that he was going to join Chuck in the lab, but there had been no sign of the scientist in quite some time. She was growing more and more curious about their whereabouts.

One she finished dusting in the bedroom, Ella left the bedroom and headed toward the stairs.

"Tanaka!" she called. Promptly the Japanese butler appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

"At your service, Miss Ella," he made himself available.

"Tanaka, could you please check to see if Chris and Chuck are still in the garage? They don't usually leave the house without telling us."

"Right away, Miss Ella," he answered before rushing out the front door. Ella turned and headed back down the hall toward Lindsey's and Nelson's shared room to dust. Could they have gone shopping together? Chuck was always getting new parts for his projects. No, he almost never took Chris along; the young boy was usually bored out of his skull of menial shopping trips. So she ruled out that possibility. Then she realized: Chris had been talking about going bowling for past two weeks now. Bingo. She was concerning herself over nothing large at all.

A minute later, Tanaka returned upstairs. "I found this note on the side door," he reported, before handing Ella the note. The maid unfolded it and read it.

_ "To Ella and Tanaka: _

_ Chris and I are going to the bowling alley today. Also, please don't enter the garage for the next few days. I am working on a top-secret project. Hopefully by next week, I will be able to disclose it. _

_ -Chuck" _

"Huh," Ella said as she handed the note back to Tanaka. "Perhaps you should put this note back where you found it. I don't want Mr. Thorndyke thinking we saw his project."

"Very good, Miss Ella," Tanaka replied as he took the note and headed for the stairs. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, there came heavy knocking at the front door, followed by "Police. Open up."

Now this was unexpected. Ella was both worried and curious as to what the officers wanted. Surely one of them wasn't in trouble? Ella knew this was the case, but she still wanted to know why the police would be at their door.

"I'll handle this," volunteered Tanaka as he walked briskly to the front door. Upon opening it, he saw four police officers standing on the porch.

"Good afternoon," the frontmost officer stated. His name tag suggested his surname was Rodham. "We've received eyewitness reports that an alien that appeared in town last night was last spotted here. We have been authorized to conduct a thorough search for the suspect in this house."

Tanaka wasn't surprised in the slightest. After all, he _ had _ seen the news that morning. "Very well," he consented, and stepped aside to let the officers in.

"Okay, spread out," instructed Officer Rodham to the other officers. "You two, upstairs. Evans and I will take the ground floor."

"Yes, sir," the other two officers responded as they ascended the stairs. Ella headed back downstairs toward Tanaka.

"Tanaka…" Ella spoke, having not heard the officer speak to Tanaka. "What are they looking for?"

The butler chose his next words carefully. "They are… looking for… a very dangerous wanted criminal. Eyewitnesses said he was last spotted in this area." Perfect. At least Ella didn't hear the word "alien".

"Oh?" Ella queried.

"Yes. The police have issued an advisory to those living in this neighborhood to take extreme caution and remain indoors."

Ella wasn't sure what to say in reply, before finally settling on "Thank you for telling me."

"I wouldn't be too concerned, Ella," reassured Tanaka. "Mr. Thorndyke has ensured we have the highest standard in home security."

"And for that I am grateful," Ella added. "Remember that time a few years back when a couple thieves tried to break in?"

"Indeed. They couldn't even so much as clear the gate."

A few minutes later, the four officers gathered back in the foyer. 

"We've finished," Officer Rodham announced. "We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused for you."

"That's quite alright," Tanaka said. "Did you find any tangible evidence for the case?"

"None. Our man must have left the premises. We'll keep listening for eyewitness reports. He can't have gone too far."

"I hope you find him," Tanaka said, doing his best to hide what he really knew.

"Don't worry about a thing," Officer Rodham headed for the door. "Well, you two have a good day now."

As Tanaka shut the door behind the officers, he mentally released a big sigh. The alien was in this area, and the police were right in their house searching for it! Thank goodness the cops didn't mention anything about an alien in front of Ella; he'd have quite the time trying to explain it.

However, there _ was _ a piece of tangible evidence the police had overlooked. The only clue that Sonic the Hedgehog was ever there was a loose chili dog wrapper on the coffee table in the living room.

* * *

**Area 99 — August 20; 9:19 AM — Sonic's POV**

From my spot in the closet, I took one last quick peek at the map, which was kinda hard to do with a red lens over one eye. If Chuck was right, then the R&D section only had a few rooms for organic lifeform research. According to the map, those rooms were D-20 through D-22. Since I knew Cream and Cheese were organic, they _ had _ to be in one of those rooms. Only thing was, there were still cameras _ everywhere _. Dodging their line of sight was becoming a pain for me, but I had to keep doing it if I wanted to get the pair out of this place.

I carefully opened the closet door wider and looked to make sure the cameras weren't facing me. Some were just beginning to face away when I looked, so I darted out of there. Only when I was far enough from the door did I realize I forgot to close it. Oh well. I knew the staff here couldn't catch me even if they spotted me.

Two rights, a left, then the third hall on the left. Now that I was getting used to the layout and environment of Area 99, I decided to pick up the pace a little.

The cameras seemed to have a set pattern to them, which allowed me to slip by them if I was fast enough. Then again, "fast enough" is normal for me, so who am I kidding?

_ Careful, Sonic _ , I chided myself. _ This is a rescue mission, not a break-in-and-kick-Eggman's-butt mission. _ Breaking into Area 99 was one thing, but this time I needed to break out with Cream in tow. And since she was only a kid, I needed to put her safety above mine. I vowed to get her out of Area 99 as quickly as possible, no matter what it took.

I was fully aware that if they caught me, they would experiment on me, as well as press charges for trespassing on federal property. Just because I was an alien didn't mean they wouldn't treat me differently than a criminal. One arrest at the hands of the government was quite enough for this hedgehog, thanks.

At last I rounded the final corner and spin-dashed through the closed door to the sub-corridor. That was really risky, but I knew someone was bound to have seen me by now. Guess what? I didn't care. I was in too deep to care. The only thing that mattered was that Cream and Cheese were going to see freedom today.

Three doors. Only three doors to choose from. Which one was Cream behind? Strangely, this small hallway didn't have much in the way of surveillance, so there was that. I didn't have all day to stand around and choose. And it was a wonder I didn't see anyone the whole time I was here. Perhaps Cream's being here was a bigger deal than I had anticipated, given she was an alien to Earth too.

Then I realized: this seemed foolhardy. Was Chris right to think I was throwing myself into the open arms of Big Brother? I shook that thought aside. I had gotten out of bigger pickles than the jar can hold. Even Null Space couldn't hold me.

I carefully examined the three doors in front of me. D-20's lights were off. Guess nobody was in there. D-21 seemed filled with activity, and D-22 had only a few people inside. Using my supersonic deduction skills, I concluded that D-21 was the room for me. Thus the light bulb had gone off in my head.

And the facility. Literally.

Yep, we're talking about a mondo major power outage here. In an instant, it was blacker than obsidian dipped in tar. At least I knew where the door was before I threw it open. Sure, it had an eye scanner, but it also had an emergency disengage system — an incredible stroke of luck. I didn't have to break it down or anything.

Inside the room, there were many confused scientists and other workers aimlessly mulling about. The only way I could see them was by the lights of their smartphones they were using as makeshift flashlights.

"Get some electricians to the breaker room on the double!" one of them yelled into a radio set.

Their phone lights not only helped them see where they were going, it helped _ me _ see as well. Miraculously, they didn't see me as I sneaked past them. Now, where in this massive room could Cream's containment chamber—

Just then I accidentally ran into something made of class, earning a startled yelp from the other side. I rubbed my sore face from the impact. Looks like I found it.

"W-What was that?" I heard a frightened Cream on the other side of the glass.

"Shh, it's just me," I said.

"M-Mr. Sonic?" Cream exclaimed with relief.

"Keep your voice down," I gently cautioned, "and stand back. I'm gonna break you out."

"Okay," Cream responded and took a few small steps back. I braced myself, and let my fists fly at the glass. I could easily have spin-dashed it, but it was quite risky because of Cream being there, and the pitch black, windowless room.

Only three punches later, the glass shattered, and I rubbed my sore hands. It was little wonder that I left this sort of thing for Knuckles. The hole was big enough for me to step through, which I did. Once I was in, Cream jumped at me and hugged me. Cheese followed suit.

"Thank you, Mr. Sonic!" she exclaimed gratefully. I wished I could return the hug, but breakout was my top priority.

"Sorry, no time," I urgently yet gently told her as several heavy flashlights shone on us.

"Intruder!" someone shouted. "The test subject is loose!"

"W-What's going on?" Cream looked around, worried.

I smirked. "We're gonna juice it loose."

Cream barely had any time to scoop up Cheese before I broke into a run. It was a nightmare to do in the dark, as you might imagine. It was a miracle I didn't run into anyone so far. I couldn't say the same for any_ thing _, though. I had nearly run into the closed door trying to flee the room in the dark. Cautioning myself to try to be careful, I tried to move a little slower, but as quickly as I could through the door and into the dimly-lit (if at all) corridors. If only Chuck had given my infrared scope night vision…

"You okay back there, Cream?" I asked her once I set her down. No way could I carry her _ and _ run in the dark.

"Not yet," Cream nervously admitted. "How long has it been since we came here?"

I turned to face her — or rather, wherever her voice seemed to come from. "If I had to guess, I'd say about… ten hours," I responded. "Too long to be in captivity for you."

"Ten hours?" Cream was surprised. "It felt like months in there!"

"It _ would _ have been months if I didn't see the news this morning," I replied grimly.

I had to use my instincts to guide myself through the corridors. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about the cameras anymore; they were deactivated by the power outage, which didn't make things any easier. I also did not have to worry too much about the staff; they all seemed to be headed to Room D-21.

"Do you know why the lights went out, Mr. Sonic?" Cream broke the silence.

"Sorry. Not a clue." I tried to smile, but no one could see it in the dark.

Just then a low hum filled the air as the lights came back on. We were forced to shield our eyes from the suddenly blinding glare lights after spending the past two minutes in the dark.

"Backup generator," I mused. The power would surely be restored by the electricians soon, whatever happened.

Then things went from good to bad as all the cameras in the hallway swiveled in unison to the only things standing in the hallway.

Us.

Almost immediately an alarm began blaring, startling Cream, who held her Chao tighter.

_ "Intruders detected in Sector D. Counteractive measurements are advised," _ droned the facility's mainframe from seemingly nowhere. This went from bad to _ mondo _ bad. How could this get any— no, I shouldn't have jinxed things. Oh wait, they _ did _ just get worse.

The cameras weren't there for surveillance. I found this out first-hand as tiny capsules emerged from the tops of the cameras. Laser blasters. I thought humans weren't capable of this form of advanced technology. Then again, this _ was _ Area 99, one of the most secret and high-tech places in this world, according to Chuck.

"Hang tight," I told her as I picked her up bridal-style, being mindful that she was still carrying Cheese. Then, being as careful as I possibly could, I tore off down the hall just as the lasers started firing. Strangely, these lasers weren't destructive. I took it they could only affect organic beings such as us, and not inanimate things like the walls and floor of the facility. That was a bit frugal. Maybe Eggman could learn from these guys.

It was difficult to carry Cream and Cheese _ and _ dodge the lasers at the same time. But since I was running as quickly as I could in an enclosed corridor, they still narrowly missed me by mere inches. That was still too close in my book given the situation.

If this was Eggman's base instead, and not a prisoner scenario on a foreign planet, I might have thought of this as child's play. But this wasn't Eggman's base. This wasn't child's play. This was actually pretty unique, and no longer a rerun of last night before Chaos Control.

Already this was getting old. This mission was harder than I thought it would be. And the lasers were more annoying than an actual threat. It was high time I did them in.

I gently set Cream down once we reached a relatively safe area, which were few in number. This took her by surprise.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

I quickly turned to face her. "I'm going to take care of a few of those cameras. You need to run ahead of me."

"But…" she began to protest, but I was already on the task. Quickly spotting the first camera, I leaped on top of it. The other cameras turned toward me, but I noticed the cameras fired every two seconds, including my own. Hoping the other cameras wouldn't destroy mine, I carefully aimed my camera at the others, destroying them one by one. It was then that I saw that Cream was rooted in place in a mixture of awe and terror, watching camera after camera go down.

"Go!" I ordered again.

That did the trick. It shook Cream from her trance, and I watched as she darted down the hall, holding onto Cheese. I uprooted my camera, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it. Just then an awful reality came to be.

"_ Commencing lockdown of entire facility _," the mainframe droned.

Doors started closing all through the facility.

That wasn't so bad, though. Sure, I could easily bust myself out of this place no matter what they threw at me. No, the bad thing about this lockdown was the fact that I abandoned Cream. I had let my selfishness get ahead of me. It was fine to take out the surveillance, but never on a time crunch or a prison breakout mission.

I took off down the hall, only to see a door closing right between me and Cream. This was exactly what had me concerned. I knew to never put anything between me and the person I'm rescuing.

Fortunately, this was only a mild situation. A small door was no problem for me. It wasn't like a base lockdown had stopped me before.

"Mr. Sonic!" Cream cried out in fright.

"Stand back!" I instructed her.

I walked back about fifteen feet from the rapidly closing steel door, then ran toward it and expertly slid under it a split second before it finished closing and sealed itself. That was a close one, even for me. Fortunately, I didn't graze myself on the ground, especially considering this was a tiled floor, not unlike what you'd see at Walmart.

Quickly spotting Cream not far down the hall, I scooped her up into my arms and continued running.

"Sorry about abandoning you back there," I apologized. "But those cameras are so pesty right now!" Sure enough, there were even more cameras in this part of the facility than the ones I had destroyed earlier. I just had to grin and bear it.

"It's okay, Mr. Sonic," replied Cream. "I know you'll get me and Cheese out of here safely."

"You bet I will," I smiled.

Where I was, there was nothing but hallways, cameras, and various rooms that didn't interest me in the slightest. My onslaught against the cameras earlier really wasn't worth it. Speaking of, if Area 99's staff was relying on armed cameras to serve as their security, where were all the guards? Perhaps they would be the second line of defense. Even so, I knew I would be too fast for them.

Since there were windowless walls and everywhere, I had no clue which wall was an exterior wall, and there was no time to go back and look at the map. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I had to face the facts: I was lost.

Cream seemed to read my thoughts, as she picked up on my predicament quite easily. "Do you think you could leave the same way you came in, Mr. Sonic?" she asked.

I grimaced. "Through a ventilation shaft booby-trapped with invisible security lasers? Afraid not, Cream." I narrowly sidestepped another turquoise laser bolt that dissipated in the floor. "We'll have to make our own way out."

Saying there were cameras everywhere was an understatement on my part. The place's architects must have put cameras every twenty feet! Now _ that's _ surveillance. If only all these cameras would stop shooting at me and just turn off…

…and they did just that in a nanosecond.

The reason was quite simple, really. It came in the form of several small, drone-like electronic devices that rounded the corner right in front of us and aimed themselves at the cameras. Upon collision, they shorted out the cameras in a shower of blue sparks. One by one, the cameras were deactivated, no longer able to pose a threat to us.

"Whoa!" I ducked underneath another half dozen devices that continued down the hall and disabled some of the other cameras we had passed by. We stood still, not sure what to make of the situation.

"W-What's going on?" Cream wondered.

"Wish I knew," I responded. "But if I knew any better, I'm sure this must be the work of—"

Just then another device came into view. It differed slightly in appearance than the others, and was unaccompanied. It seemed to hover in place before floating down into my hand. Examining the device, I saw that it was shaped like a paper airplane, and had electronic symbols lining it. But the one symbol that stood out was an emblem of two tails.

Great relief washed through me. It looked like Tails had made it here to this world too. He was the best friend I ever made, and we were close as brothers. As our tech whiz, he helped us out of countless crises. When we reunited, I knew I had to introduce him to Chris.

"What is that?" Cream curiously leaned toward me to look at the electronic plane. I lowered it for her to see.

"It's from Tails," I spoke gently. "Listen, we need to keep moving. We don't want to get caught, right?"

Cream nodded, and we started running aimlessly once again. That seemed to be a mondo major problem that wasn't going to get fixed anytime soon. It was only then that I realized that the plane contained a small piece of paper rolled up inside. I removed it from it's tube and opened it. As I thought, it was a message from Tails. I read it to myself:

_ Sonic, _

_ I don't know if you're going to receive this, but I learned of Cream's capture, and figured you would be here. I've provided you some backup in the form of several EMP planes I made; they should take care of the surveillance. Make your exit at the northeast section. It's the one with the large dish-shaped roof. I'll be in the Tornado. Good luck. _

_ Tails _

"Guess I'll need the map again," I said to myself. To Cream I said, "Cream, let me know if you see a map somewhere."

"Okay, Mr. Sonic," the bunny responded as she scanned the walls for anything that looked like a map.

We kept running down the halls, the only sounds being our footsteps and the sparking electricity from the cameras, not to mention the sounds of orders being shouted in the distance.

"Guards are coming," I warned the young rabbit. "Better pick up the pace."

"Chao chao chao!"

"Wait!" Cream pulled on my arm, interpreting what Cheese had said, while pointing to the wall. "There's a map here."

I stopped in my tracks and looked at the map. "Let's see…" I mused. Locating the northeastern quadrant, I calculated that it wasn't far from where we were now… well, not far for me, that is.

"Intruders! Freeze!" came a shout that seemed closer to us than the others. Okay, so maybe our escape point was a little further away than I thought.

Just then the guards came into view. They were about a dozen humans in military suits, all aiming their semi-automatic rifles directly at me. To think Shadow was missing all the fun; he would _ love _ Earth's guns…

"Put your hands up! Both of you!" one of the soldiers ordered.

I shrugged. "Nah, I don't feel like it."

Without wasting any more time, I picked up Cream (awkwardly, as I was in a hurry), and bolted past the guards at an insane speed. Well, insane for a closed indoor space. Quite normal for me otherwise.

In my hurry I nearly hit another wall. Believe me, I had done that before, but since I'd been running supersonic for years, I was quite used to indoor spaces. At least the cameras were no longer a problem. But now that I had sentient security to deal with, this had just became a mondo time crunch.

"Gonna need some concentration so I can get us out of here," I advised Cream. She nodded.

I attempted to recall what the map looked like as I ran. Doing so without losing speed was difficult, especially when I didn't have photographic memory. Now that there were considerably fewer cameras, I didn't have to worry about the lasers as much, as most of them in this area were destroyed. I didn't even want to think about their damage cost. But now I had to worry about guns and real bullets. The guards started shooting at us, and I cradled Cream and Cheese closer to my chest as I got closer to the rendezvous point. They would not touch us. I would see to it that neither of us return to human custody.

A grueling two minutes later, we finally arrived at the rendezvous point. It was a stairwell surrounding a missile silo. Fortunately, it was empty, so there were no missiles to worry about today. Just a staircase with no railing. Major safety hazard, I might add.

But the railing wasn't my only issue. More guards were descending the staircase from above. Of course, they too were armed with rifles. Now I was pretty sure it was illegal to hunt rabbits and hedgehogs indoors, so I had to make this quick.

"This is gonna be close," I told Cream as I ran up the staircase. Not to engage the guards up there, but to avoid the ones that just came through the door I had entered through. I was trapped above and below. This was bad. I only hoped Tails was still waiting outside for me.

Just then I heard an all-too-familiar droning noise from the other side of the outer wall. It could only be Tails' famous Tornado. The only hurdle left for me to leap over was my escape from Area 99. Only one wall separated us from freedom.

"Is that the Tornado?" Cream asked once she heard the sound of the motor.

"You bet!" I confirmed. "Now hang tight and try not to puke."

"What do you mean?" It didn't take her long to figure out my plan. "But… isn't there another way?"

"Trank the extraterrestrials!" ordered one of the guards.

"I guess the answer is no," I said grimly. "Hang on."

I leaped into the air, and willed myself to spin rapidly in place. The guards must have been astonished, as they seemed to do absolutely nothing. Either that, or time seemed to slow down. Anyway, when I reached peak spinning speed, I launched myself at the opposite wall and bounced off. I needed to reach a certain velocity, which meant I couldn't just crash through the wall without ricocheting myself around the room several times, which is exactly what I did. I noticed the guards were starting to fire their tranquilizers at me, but all of them missed. I swear some of them even hit each other. That must have been a sight to see had I not been spinning at dizzying speeds.

Once I bounced around about seven or eight times, I aimed myself at the exterior wall, and sliced through it like it was one of Eggman's Badniks. We were just above one of the stairs when we went through, which, unfortunately, meant the guards could simply poke their guns through and fire. Fortunately they didn't do that just yet.

Just then I caught a quick glance of the Tornado 2 close by. Uncurling, I aimed myself at the right wing. Turning, Tails waved to me, as he dipped the plane so I could easily land on the wing.

And land on the wing I did, though without much grace, since I was still carrying my precious cargo. But hey, at least I stuck the landing, and that was what mattered.

"You made it!" congratulated the fox behind the controls.

"I don't let my friends down for anything in the world," I said as I gently set Cream down in the passenger's seat and buckled her in. She looked quite dizzy from all the spinning she had endured, but it was worth the price of freedom. Cheese was equally as dazed, but Cream had a firm grasp on him so he wouldn't sail out.

"Good to see you again, buddy," I said. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too, Sonic," Tails smiled, before his expression changed to one of curiosity. "What's that you're wearing?"

"It's an infrared scope Chuck gave me," I answered, before realizing what I said.

"…Chuck…?" Tails repeated in confusion. "…Who's he?"

Just then I noticed the guards congregating around the hole I made.

"Tails, looks like the guards are going to—"

"I see them! Just give me a moment."

The guards had just begun to open fire on the craft. No bullets hit the Tornado, and I held on as I felt it travelling faster. After a couple moments, the bullets stopped coming.

"So how'd you know I'd be here?" I asked. I know, I had the note, but I wanted to hear his side of the story.

"I'll explain once we land," Tails answered. "Speaking of, where _ are _ we going to land?"

"I'm staying at a mansion over at Station Square," I explained. We'll land there. I'll guide the way."

"Wait, you're living with this world's humans?" Tails cautiously asked. "Are you sure they won't turn you in or anything?"

"Oh, no, no, we're on friendly terms. That reminds me, I gotta check in when we get back in town."

Fortunately, my headset was still on; it never left my head during my breakout spin.

"Chuck, you there?" I asked once the city came back in view.

"Sonic, I assume you made it out okay?" Chuck asked.

"Sure did. Cream is safe with me, and we're on our way back. In short, mission accomplished."

"Excellent," Chuck praised. "We're on our way back now ourselves."

"Oh, and Chuck?"

"Yes, Sonic?"

"Do you by any chance have room in your driveway for a small biplane?"

* * *

**Station Square — August 20; 9:40 AM — Chris' POV**

Grandpa and I left the bowling alley after we finished our game and ate at the snack bar. It was a close game, and even though I bowled two strikes, Grandpa still came out on top. It was almost as if he was an expert or something. I told myself that I would eventually win.

Just before we left, the radio crackled, and this time, it wasn't a false alarm. I was able to hear Sonic's voice on the other side of the radio, despite it not being a loudspeaker and Grandpa's best attempts to make himself inconspicuous.

Grandpa was dumbfounded about hearing of a biplane, and seemed to automatically say yes. I was surprised myself. Did our driveway even have room for a biplane…? But that wasn't the biggest problem. You see, plane engines are loud, and it would be next to impossible to hide a plane from Ella and Tanaka without arousing their suspicions in a heartbeat.

Also, we had told him we were out and said we would be home in about half an hour. Sonic replied, saying he could wait until then. That sounded ironic, since he struck me as being pretty impatient.

"How long have we been out today, Grandpa?" I asked as Grandpa remotely unlocked the car doors.

Grandpa glanced at his watch. "Almost an hour."

I was surprised. "Why did it feel longer than that?" I asked.

"Maybe it's because we were more than a little eager to hear back from Sonic," Grandpa surmised.

We climbed into the car, and Grandpa started the engine. A moment later, we were pulling out of the parking lot.

"Are you excited to meet Sonic's friends, Chris?" Grandpa asked, checking the rearview mirror for traffic.

I beamed. "Yeah! …But…"

"But what?"

"It's…" I tried to find the right words. "It's hard enough keeping Sonic a secret from Ella and Mr. Tanaka. And now there's going to be two— _ three _ more people here…"

Grandpa nodded, seeing where I was coming from.

"I'll think of something," he said. "They can stay in my lab until I'm able to work something out." He smiled broadly. "I can't wait to meet them!"

_ Me too _, I thought. I was going to meet new friends! And it hadn't even been twelve hours since I made my wish! I was the luckiest kid in the world.

"How long will it take to get home from here?" I asked.

"Twenty minutes if we hurry," Grandpa said.

And so we pulled out onto the road, homeward bound. Sonic wasn't just loving. He wasn't just a great guy. He was a hero. A _ superhero _, even. And now I couldn't wait to meet his friends.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Outside — August 20; 9:46 AM — Sonic's POV**

"Right there," I said, motioning Tails toward the driveway next to Chris's house below us. Longer than several generic driveways put end-to-end, the smoothly-paved strip was lined with palm trees planted at intervals and ended at the mansion's detached garage. It very well could have been a small airstrip for all I knew.

"Uh, it looks a little short for a plane…" judged Tails, "but I'll see what I can do."

The fox gradually took the plane down toward the driveway. By now, Cream's lightheadedness had gone away, and sleepiness took its place. I would see to it that she got some proper rest once we landed.

Tails had to circle around once to align his craft with the driveway, but he succeeded in making a perfect three-point landing on the pavement. After coasting for a moment, we eventually slowed down, and Tails stopped the Tornado inches in front of the garage door. Fortunately, Chuck was kind enough to leave it open for us, so we could sit around inside and wait for him and Chris to get back from whatever they were doing (when did they leave?).

Tails slowly and carefully turned the plane around in the driveway, so that it could be immediately ready for its next takeoff, before switching off the engine. A relieving quietness filled the air.

"So… this is where you've been staying since you came here, Sonic?" wondered Tails, looking around at his surroundings.

I leapt out of the plane and onto the ground before looking over the house as well. "Yeah. What do you think?"

After climbing down from the plane, Tails peered into the garage. I could see it in his eyes that he was already geeking out. What wasn't to love? There were tools and gadgets of all kinds in there!

"This place is huge!" he exclaimed. "From the looks of things, I wouldn't doubt that an engineer or maybe a mechanic lives here."

Cream unbuckled and, carrying Cheese, flapped her ears to disembark from the Tornado. She didn't seem to pay the property any attention as she wandered over to a folding chair set up in the garage, and sat down with Cheese in her lap.

Tails turned back to me as we followed Cream into the garage. "So the people living here know you're staying here?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. I wouldn't be here otherwise," I answered. "Four people live here, but only two of them know about me. If it weren't for them, I'd probably still be running to who-knows-where."

"Wait, only two?" queried Tails.

"Well, strange as it is, this world's apparently never had Mobians before," I answered.

"Yeah, that _ is _ strange," mused Tails. "The way I see it, if we're in a world that has its own version of humans and Station Square, then chances are we've been sent to a parallel universe."

"My thoughts exactly," I nodded as I took a seat of my own. "At first I thought I was blown back in time, until I saw all the modern tech the humans had," I responded.

Tails sat down as well. "I've not seen much of this world's technology yet," he said, "but I'm sure I'll get the opportunity to find out."

Taking another longing look around the garage, and all the tools and machines neatly arranged within the space, he asked, "So how did you come to find this place?"

"It's quite a story, so I'll start right after the Chaos Control incident." I took a breath, ready to relate my story. "'K, so I woke up in the middle of town, surrounded by cars, people, and cops that showed up. I _ think _ they wanted to arrest me so they could experiment on me like they did Cream—"

Unfortunately, this garnered a small whimper from Cream in the seat next to me. I leaned over and gently patted the young rabbit's head. "Sorry, Cream. I know it was scary, but now you're safe and sound." Cream smiled at that.

"Anyway, I evaded the cops, got some time to think things over, and then some group of police race car drivers who called themselves the S-Team pretty much ran me out of town. I managed to evade them, but their leader – the Highway Star, is he called? – was probably more cocky than me even. Said he wanted to be the fastest guy in this town."

"Sounds like you've got yourself a little competition," chuckled Tails.

"Oh, you should have seen his face when I pulled off a sonic boom right in front of him!" I chuckled at the memory, though I hadn't stuck around to see the guy's shock. Tails snickered as well.

"Anyway," I continued, "once I shook off the S-Team, I had planned to get a bird's-eye view of the city before moving on to other places. Good thing I didn't. I had leaped off a cliff to get one last view of the city, but I ended up landing in this house's pool." I shuddered. "I would have drowned had it not been for a young kid named Chris who lives here."

"Is he here now?" Tails asked.

"Not yet," I answered. "He went out with his grandpa; bowling, I think he said. They'll be back in a few minutes, probably."

Cream, who had been silently listening until this point, spoke up. "But Mr. Tails, how did you know we were in… in that place?"

"Oh, right, I still need to tell my part of the story!" the fox realized. "So I woke up at a farm somewhere. It was still nighttime, just like back home… and I saw that the Tornado was with me. Unfortunately, it was pretty beat-up… it suffered some heavy engine damage from our battle last night. It took me most of the night, but I finally got it to fly."

"No wonder you look beat," I noted. "You should get some rest, buddy."

"Thanks. I'll definitely be needing it." He stifled a yawn. "When I woke up the next morning, I got out the Miles Electric to see if anything had changed, since… y'know, we're on another world. I was surprised to find I was picking up some TV stations. I decided to do channel surf a little bit, and… I found a news channel. That's how I found out about Cream and Cheese."

"I saw that you still had some of those nano planes lying around," I noted, glancing outside for any sign of a returning car. "They were a real lifesaver."

"I don't think Area 99 will recover from that for a long time," the fox responded, trying and failing to stifle a giggle. "Good thing I also had the message-delivering planes still lying around. That reminds me, did you ever get my message?"

"Sure did!" I responded, giving my buddy a thumbs-up. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

Glancing down at Cream, I saw that she was cuddling Cheese, who was fast asleep. Tails yawned again, which reminded me of my long night. That Chao had some great ideas…

"So Cream," Tails spoke gently so as not to awaken Cheese, "are you okay with telling us your side of the story?"

The young rabbit shuddered at the memory, as well she should, because no one should experiment on children.

"Um… Well, Cheese and I woke up in the night on top of a giant sign… Then bright lights flashed in our faces as a giant truck brought a ladder to me… Then… someone put cloths on our faces, and we fell asleep… Then we woke up in that horrible building… Um…" She turned to me, eyes wide at her memory. "How long was I there, Mr. Sonic?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, not counting the time I rescued you… I'd say about ten hours," I responded.

"Ten _ hours _?!" Tails almost shrieked. "Sonic, they experimented on her for ten hours?!"

I looked over to make sure Cheese was still asleep after Tails's outburst. Good; still asleep.

"Well, given the time she woke up, it may have been only one or two hours, if even that," I admitted. "Cream did say she was surprised she was there for that long." I paused. "At least they didn't experiment on her while she was out cold… that I know of."

"But still, no one should be experimented on like that!" Tails voiced the thought that went through my head for the hundredth time that day. I secretly hoped Cream wouldn't have any nightmares tonight.

"I know, bud, but the folks here are different than the ones back home. By the way, do you know if Mobius' humans ever experiment on Mobians before?"

"Not at all," replied Tails matter-of-factly. "They've been living in harmony for quite some time now, even though it's not often they cross into each other's territory."

I understood that it was rarer for a human to be in Mobian territory than for a Mobian to be in human territory. Rouge and Shadow still worked for GUN, which was comprised mainly of humans.

There was a point where humans, particularly the Overlanders, were despised simply because Eggman was also human. Fortunately, the Mobians and Overlanders more or less got over each other since. I don't think it settled that well with Geoffrey St. John, though…

"Oh, and Chris told me a couple things about this planet that are pretty different from Mobius."

"Oh yeah?" Tails leaned forward in his seat, interest piqued. "Like what?"

"Well, for one, they call this planet Earth, and from what I've seen so far, the tech here isn't as advanced as back home… except maybe for Area 99."

"Will we see Miss Amy again…?" Cream's tired voice came from her spot in the chair.

I felt for her, I really did. Cream missed home as much as I did, worse even, and she had not seen her mother all day. Those two were so close. But as for Amy… this was better news.

"I'm sure she made it here too," I said softly, smiling. "Same with Knuckles. They'll pop up soon, don't worry!" I winked.

Then I noticed Tails take on a concerned expression. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yup. _ He's _ here too."

I didn't even need to say who "he" was, but I'll give you a hint: his name sounds like a breakfast food you make quiche with.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion — August 20; 9:59 AM — Chris' POV**

Rounding the final corner, Grandpa steered the car into our 700-foot driveway. At the end of the driveway, I could see a blue biplane facing us. I assumed this was Sonic's ride back home.

"I see they got their plane here okay," mused Grandpa. "Are you ready, Chris?"

"Mhm," I responded, too excited for words. On the inside, I was practically squealing. To say there were butterflies in my stomach wouldn't be enough to describe my joy.

Grandpa pulled up next to the biplane, giving it plenty of space for takeoff. I had to admit, the plane was considerably smaller than I imagined it would be. From what I saw, it could seat two, and had the word "SONIC" painted in white on the side. Obviously its pilot was a big fan of Sonic.

Once Grandpa turned off the engine, I opened my door and was the first one out of the car. Grandpa eagerly stepped out as well, and we headed toward the garage. There they were, seated in folding chairs: Sonic, Cream, Cheese, and what appeared to be… a Mobian fox? I would find out soon enough. I needed to tell myself to calm my skyrocketing heart rate.

Just then Sonic turned to us. "Hey, welcome back!" he greeted. He stood up and headed over to us, and the Mobian fox followed behind.

"I'm Chuck, and this is my grandson Chris," Grandpa introduced us.

"My name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails," the fox introduced himself. I could see why. Was it unusual for Mobians to have two tails? I would have to ask later… that is, if it wouldn't be intrusive.

"My name is Cream," timidly introduced the young rabbit, "and this is my Chao friend Cheese."

"Chao?" I was confused.

"Chao are cute little creatures from our world," Sonic explained. "Not quite like pets, though." He glanced at Cheese. "They're pretty rare these days."

"Does he speak?" I asked Cream out of curiosity

Cream looked like she was about to answer, when suddenly the Chao flew out of Cream's grasp, and greeted me with a "Chao chao!", which startled me a little bit. Tails giggled at this, and Sonic snickered.

"It's okay; he's friendly," Tails reassured. I smiled, uncontrollably so. They were definitely worthy friends of Sonic's, and I knew immediately they would be friends of mine as well.

Just then Grandpa returned from looking over the plane. Approaching Tails, he said with wonder, "So you're the pilot of the plane, Tails?"

"Yep!" he said proudly. "This is the Tornado, my pride and joy!"

"So you _ built _ it too?" Grandpa asked incredulously.

"I sure did," Tails answered, blushing a little.

There was a stunned pause.

"…How old are you?" Grandpa finally asked in disbelief.

"I'm eight," the fox replied, not missing a beat. I was a little surprised they measured age the same way we do. Tails seems to be a lot more mature than the average eight-year-old, no offense to them.

"You guys have ages on your world?" I asked, even though I shouldn't really be surprised.

"We sure do!" Sonic answered. "I'm fifteen, and Cream here is six."

"Do you mind if I examine the controls?" Grandpa asked Tails.

"Not at all!" he permitted. "Just don't touch anything, okay?"

Grandpa climbed onto the wing very slowly – "My legs aren't what they used to be," he groaned – and peeked inside the plane. This left me to think about just how mature their ages were compared to us.

Whoa… Sonic was only a teenager. No one would believe me if I told anyone at school (which would start again in two days) that a teen risked his life to save a young child and her (pet?) from the depths of the most secure government facility in the US. The only things our human teens did was sit around on their phones all day, or maybe pop by the college safe room with their crayons and comfort llamas in stressful situations (again, no offense). Not to mention Tails was only _ eight _, and here he was, claiming to be capable of flying and building planes all by himself. Just… wow.

Grandpa lifted a large, rough-looking bag from the back seat of the Tornado. "What's in here?" he asked, attracting our attention, and especially my curiosity.

"Inside that bag are several small airplane-like devices capable of generating electromagnetic pulses," Tails replied like it was obvious.

Heading over to Grandpa, Tails and I helped him down. The fox opened the bag and handed one of the devices to Grandpa for him to examine. It was smaller than any paper airplane I could ever make. Grandpa was awed into speechlessness as he fingered the device.

"I made these myself too," Tails spoke quietly, as if this was a secret.

"These… these are ingenious," Grandpa whispered. "How did you make them…? This technology… I… I can't replicate it even if I wanted to."

"I made them back on my world. Besides, Mobians did always have more advanced technology than humans." He looked up at Grandpa. "Sorry… I didn't mean to offend you, Chuck."

"I'm not offended at all, Tails," Grandpa smiled.

While they were talking, I knew I had to bring up the issue about the Mobians' safety at some point. Now that I knew it was all done in love, I was not as mad at him as I had been earlier, but I was still concerned. I still needed to talk to him.

As it turned out, Sonic beat me to the punch; for he noticed my expression first.

"What's wrong, Chris?" he asked. Hopefully Grandpa wouldn't overhear; he was involved in gearhead talk with Tails.

"Well… Do you know just how dangerous Area 99 really is?"

"Security cameras with laser turrets? Unexpected power outages? Guards with guns?" Sonic smirked. "Yeah, that's dangerous stuff, dude. Still, it's nothing compared to—"

I shook my head. "No, that's not what I meant. What I meant is that you could have thrown the whole country into turmoil, and later be executed for your crimes." I paused, letting that sink in. "Do you know what I'm saying?"

Sonic just smiled. It was an understanding smile, one that you might give a friend of your own. He laid a caring hand on my shoulder, which made me low-key wonder if that was difficult for him given he was only about as tall as my chest.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Chris," he said. "If I'm ever caught, and believe me, that's not happening any time soon, then…" He chuckled, catching me off guard. "Eh, who am I kidding? They can't catch me, and I proved it to 'em back there today, didn't I?"

Seeing my unamused expression, Sonic's own demeanor became more somber. "It's nothing I haven't done before. In fact, this adventure was pretty tame, all things considered. Believe me, I've done stuff _ way _ more dangerous than what I did today. Now I'm talking life-threateningly dangerous. But in the end, I always come through."

I paused to ponder that. Life-threatening… I was in way over my head…

"Mr. Sonic has saved us more times than I can remember," piped up Cream as she stifled a yawn. If Sonic went on lots of adventures, then who needed storybooks and fairytales? I had an alien hedgehog who could run faster than the speed of sound!

Meanwhile, Tails was showing Grandpa some more of his amazing creations, and I knew I had to come over and see for myself as well.

"The Miles Electric can also translate languages, has its own radar, and can even pick up TV stations!" Tails was saying. The young fox inventor was showing Grandpa a tablet unlike any I had ever seen. It was almost the size of an iPad, but was yellow, had two easy-grip handles, and even a small satellite dish mounting it.

"And you also built this yourself," Grandpa said.

"From scratch," Tails answered, nodding eagerly.

"Incredible," replied Grandpa. "I want to show you some things I made myself as well."

"You're an inventor too?!" Tails enthusiastically asked.

"I sure am!" Grandpa beamed. "Come with me!"

He practically ran to the garage, and Tails matched his pace. I even thought I heard him laugh in his giddy excitement. It was almost like he was a kid on Christmas morning. Anyone else would say he was hyper, but, to be honest, the way Grandpa felt now was pretty much my emotions exactly when I met Sonic last night.

As we followed Tails and Grandpa into the garage, the latter picked up Sonic's headset he had left on one of the counters in the garage.

"This is a headset I made last year," Grandpa said. "Not only does it have multi-channel two-way radio within a fifteen-mile radius, but it also has an infrared scope that can be swapped out for a night vision scope."

"Wow, that looks really neat!" Tails commented. "Were these the ones you used in the mission to rescue Cream and Cheese?"

"Indeed they were!" Grandpa beamed. "They really came in handy, especially since my theory on the infrared security sensors in Area 99 proved to be correct."

"You seem really excited," Tails pointed out.

"Why shouldn't I be?" he nearly exclaimed. "It's a real joy to be able to share my expertise with a master scientist from another world!"

Tails abashedly rubbed behind his head. "Well, I'm not exactly a—"

"You really are from another world, aren't you?" Grandpa asked for confirmation.

"That's right," nodded Tails. "We come from a planet called Mobius." He had a faraway look in his eyes, evidence that he missed his home world.

Grandpa nodded, his initial excitement calming down. "Hm. Where is it in relation to Earth?"

Tails thought for a moment. "I don't know exactly… mostly because I've never heard of Earth before. However, I _ do _ know that there is a way we can get back home."

"How?"

"I spoke with Sonic earlier, and we agreed that we'll tell you guys everything once two more of our friends get here."

"Did they make it here as well?"

"I strongly believe they did."

I had been listening to Tails and Grandpa this whole time while Sonic stood by. Cream had already fallen asleep. Then I remembered something: Had Ella and Tanaka heard the plane landing? Sure, it was maybe thirty minutes ago, but… it'd been a wonder they hadn't come out by now! What happened?

"What if Ella and Mr. Tanaka find out about the Mobians?" I presented to Grandpa as calmly as possible.

"Remember the note I left?" reminded Grandpa. "It said for them to stay in the house for a few days while I work on a 'secret project.'"

"And what about the plane?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, my boy. They'll think it's just me playing with the generator again."

I chuckled. "That was really clever, Grandpa."

To Sonic, I said, "If you want to go somewhere, could you please try not to be seen by the public, at least for now?"

The hedgehog shrugged. "I don't think I can guarantee that, Chris. But hey, I can roll around at the speed of sound. Nobody will know what it was that passed them by."

I sighed. I think his laid-back attitude was already starting to irk me in the slightest. And yet I wondered if it was going to rub off on me.

"Just… be careful, okay?" I made him promise. He rewarded me with a smirk. Me… no comment.

"Well, I'm going to prepare an early lunch for everyone," Grandpa announced as he turned toward the garage door. "Rest easy, Tails, and Chris, you can use this time to get to know your new friends better." 

Yes, Grandpa can cook; he offered to fill in for Ella when she came down with the flu a month ago.

As he left the garage, I thought of his words. He called us friends. I haven't even known Tails, Cream, and Cheese for a full ten minutes. Not only were they the right kind of friends for me, they were the absolute_ best _ kind. We could go on all sorts of adventures together. Grandpa even had a lab partner to boot!

As I looked from Cream and Cheese, then to Tails, then to Sonic, I couldn't help but feel excitement swelling up in me once more. I could only imagine all the fun times we would have together. Not only had my wish been fulfilled… it had been fulfilled a _ hundredfold _… and this was a gift that would keep on giving for as long as they were here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shorter than the last chapter, but some of the best things come in small packages!
> 
> I need constructive criticism for this one, especially since Chris is heavily used. Chris is a very toxic character in the fanbase, and I wanted to change that. I've always loved Chris, and wanted to spruce up his character. He's not whiny, he's just misunderstood.
> 
> If you see ways I can strengthen the writing, or if anyone is OOC, please let me know! Anything helps!
> 
> Next time: Knuckles and Amy show up in town, and so does an old enemy for Sonic and a new enemy for Chris, swearing world domination! Don't miss it!


	3. I Am the Eggman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Eggman launches his first attack on Station Square, and Sonic is nowhere to be found, leaving Tails with a major dilemma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to rename some of the E-Series robots so that Eggman doesn't go around saying "Da-Dai-Oh" or "Gorru-Gaooh". However, for lack of a better name, I'm keeping the name Missile Wrist. I actually considered names like Hyperion, but that's an Earth term.
> 
> Anyway, this was a fun one to write. I named it "I Am the Eggman" after the song "E.G.G.M.A.N.", because he is indeed the man with the master plan!
> 
> Without further ado, let's get on to what matters most: the story!

**Eggman's base — Sun August 21; 10:03 AM — Third-person POV**

Sunday had arrived in the city of Station Square. The weather was beautiful, with only a few clouds dotting the sky here and there. It was one of those picture-perfect days in which nothing could go wrong.

But Dr. Eggman had other ideas. This was the day he would start his conquest of this new planet. Today he would lay the foundation of his glorious Eggman Empire.

Eggman woke up at ten that morning, much later than he had wanted to. This was on account of a day and two nights of reorganizing after the unexpected Chaos Control event. As he prepared to seize the day (and hopefully this planet while he was at it), the memories of the past thirty-five hours were fresh on his mind.

Eggman blacked out the moment he was engulfed in the freak accident. When he woke up, he eventually discovered from his robots that he had arrived on this new world in the early morning hours of Saturday, August 20. Apparently this world's calendar wasn't all that different from Mobius'…

The Chaos Emeralds alone had never caused Chaos Control on that scale before. Eggman assumed it was the wiring of the machine, or the damage it had received when his E-13 Guardian was destroyed. Either way, he was safe within the confines of his fortress.

Eggman remembered doing a double take right then. Was it possible that he was never Chaos Controlled to begin with? He had to find out if he was transported or not. There were too many questions simultaneously racking his 300-IQ brain.

To his mild surprise, he had awaken in his sleeping quarters, and assumed his robots had put him to bed. Rising from his bed, he headed toward his command center, which was just down the hall from his room. Upon entering, he saw the broken Chaos Roboticizer still in the middle of the room, and stifled a yawn. Being unconscious for a while did nothing to improve his need for sleep.

The only other one in the command center was Bokkun, who was studying the broken Chaos Roboticizer. Beaming, he turned to his creator.

"Good to see you up, Dr. Eggman!" his over-cheery voice echoed through the room. Unfortunately, he was no substitute for caffeine.

"Bokkun," Eggman started, "have you seen Decoe and Bocoe?"

"Oh, they're downstairs organizing a crew to clean up the Chaos Roboticizer. Um…" Bokkun pondered what he was going to say next. "That was what you would do, right?"

"Yes, Bokkun, carry on with the cleanup." Eggman was tired, and didn't want to deal with the aftermath of the Chaos Control event that night. But he just _ had _ to know if he was still on Mobius or not.

He wandered over to the console, which had several large viewscreens situated above it. Surveying the room, he saw that, aside from a few pieces of metal and glass embedded in the walls, the only damage done to the room was smoke, which had blackened several spots on said walls. Nothing his hench-bots and Badniks couldn't fix.

He pressed the button for the outside security cameras, and blinked in surprise at what he saw. Instead of his usual grand array of security measures, ranging from floodlights and barbed-wire fences, he saw… a beach. As Eggman watched the waves gently lapping against the shore, he was immediately filled with conflicting emotions.

While was not surprised to find that he was indeed Chaos Controlled to a different location, he was shocked to find that his entire fortress was transported to another place. It remained to be seen whether he was on another planet entirely.

Eggman pulled up the radar, and zoomed all the way out. He quickly found out that he wasn't on Mobius anymore. This filled him with many more questions.

_ "How did Chaos Control transport my whole fortress to another planet?" _

_ "Was that annoying pincushion and his friends sent here as well?" _

_ "Is my fortress' foundation stable?" _

_ "What about the underground Badnik factory?" _

_ "Can I get back home?" _

He quickly answered Question 5: No way was he getting back home, at least, not without the Chaos Emeralds.

"Bokkun," Eggman spoke.

"Yes, Doctor?" the robot replied, looking up from his work.

"Any sign of the Chaos Emeralds' whereabouts?"

"No, Doctor," Bokkun said with a hint of sadness. "We made them our first priority. They're totally gone."

Eggman gritted his teeth. "They can't be," he said. "They _ have _ to have been sent here as well."

Walking over to the Chaos energy scanner, he pressed a button. Nothing. He figured the scanner was damaged in the explosion. Time to add console repairs to his ever-growing bucket list.

As for Sonic and his friends, he assumed they were also on this planet. Same with the Emeralds. As inconclusive as his deductions were at the time, there was no reason they _ shouldn't _ have been on this planet. But how were they _ not _ in the fortress, and he still was?

Just then Decoe came through the door, followed by various Badniks, among them Egg Pawns, Buzz Bombers, and Motobugs.

"You're awake, Doctor," Decoe stated the obvious. "I had to bring a large quantity of Badniks – this cleanup will be time-consuming."

"I was afraid of that," grumbled Eggman.

"You four, remove anything embedded in the walls," the tall, yellow robot instructed four Buzzbombers. To the Motobugs, he said, "And you Buzz Bombers, clean the ash and smoke off the walls. Egg Pawns, dismantle and remove the broken Chaos Roboticizer."

To Eggman, he asked, "Do you want to recycle the Chaos Roboticizer parts?"

"Yes," Eggman replied. Just because he was a supervillain did not mean he didn't believe in environmental friendliness. "And also… I need to know if the fortress's foundation is safe and in one piece."

"We have already analyzed our surroundings," reported Decoe. "The base is perfectly sturdy. It's almost as if it has been here for a long time."

"And the factory?"

"Completely intact, Doctor. However, the hidden runway is blocked off by the natural landscape of this island. I have already dispatched a team of Badniks to deal with it."

"And what of Bocoe?" queried Eggman. "Why is he absent?"

"I regret to inform you that Bocoe has sustained moderate damage from the explosion. Fortunately, we are programmed to resist any elements that would otherwise cause us to, as organics put it, black out."

Eggman nodded. "Carry on with your work. I'm going to get some sleep if I can. Tomorrow, we'll make sure our Badnik army is in order, maybe create some new ones, and study the lie of the land."

That was Friday night. Eggman did manage to sleep that night, knowing that, as long as Sonic wasn't here on Earth, he could easily turn this world into the Eggman Empire. While he currently lacked some of his greatest resources such as his fearsome Egg Fleet, or the supplies to build a new Death Egg, he still had a massive army of Badniks and E-Series robots at his disposal, and they could still prove to be a massive threat.

The Eggman Empire was Dr. Ivo Robotnik's dream. It would encompass the whole world, and would see everyone, except for a select whitelisted few, transformed into robots. It saw the ultimate demise of Sonic and his friends. It saw the rise of its star attraction, Eggmanland.

These thoughts helped him drift off to sleep that night.

Eggman spent all day Saturday ordering his robots to make sure the Badniks were in order, trying to keep the hyperactive Bokkun out of his candy stash (even villains have a sweet tooth), making new robots, repairing Bocoe, and researching the planet. At a closer inspection, he found that he was on Santa Rosa Island, which was part of a national park. Checking the satellite map using something this world's humans called the "Internet", he found that the nearest mainland was a country called the United States of America. Additionally, the nearest city he could invade was Los Angeles, until his eyes came to rest on the name of another city that lay just north of it.

Station Square.

Eggman gasped. How on Mobius, er, _ Earth _ , did Station Square exist in _ this _ plane of reality too?! He knew it was destroyed by Perfect Chaos some time ago. Wisely choosing not to think too deeply about it, he decided _ it _ would be his target instead.

Now it was Sunday. Time for this world to be introduced to the likes of Dr. Eggman.

The mad genius contemplated his choices. He could easily launch an entire army of robots and take the city by storm. Sure, it would get the job done with ease, but should that pesky pincushion and his friends show up, he wanted to make sure he wouldn't diminish his resources too quickly. This time, he wanted to test the waters.

The Egg Fleet was certainly out of the question; the sole reason was that it was not Chaos Controlled to Earth along with the fortress. There was nothing to stop him from building a new cruiser, though. But for right now, he pondered what he should deploy. What would bring the world to its knees? What would make those miserable human beings call Dr. Eggman their master?

He finally decided on one of his E-Series robots, along with a few swarms of Badniks. While he knew from the top of his head which Badniks to deploy, he had no idea which of his many E-Series robots to choose. E-38 Nautilus was devastating. E-90 Super Sweeper was treacherous. Even weaker E-Series robots like E-88 Lightning Bird could strike fear into the hearts of the populace.

"You appear conflicted in your decision, Doctor," Decoe pointed out.

Eggman sighed. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"Will the Robot Selection Cards assist you?"

"Yes. Are they still in the drawer over there where they usually are?"

"Affirmative," nodded Decoe. "I made sure of it during the cleanup efforts. I know how much you can be conflicted in choosing robots."

As the lanky robot walked over to retrieve the deck of cards, Eggman linked his hands behind his head. "Not always. But when it comes to tasks in which many different kinds of robots can accomplish with equal success… _ that's _ when I need the cards."

Decoe quickly found the cards and handed them to his master. The mustached villain opened the case, revealing the cards. Any time he created a new robot, he used another machine to create a new card for it, which meant it could randomly be chosen by the Robot Selection Machine that was set up in the room. It was a large slot machine he had taken great pains to achieve from an auction at Casino Night Zone. It cost him a lot of rings to buy, but it was still discounted on account of it being an older model. He had since modified it to randomly select a robot. All he needed to do was insert some or all of his cards into a slot, close the hatch, pull the lever, and watch the slot machine display the chosen robot.

Eggman opened the clear plastic case, revealing the over one hundred cards. He laid them out upon the console, and filed out all of the E-Series cards. Then he put the rest of the cards back in the case before inserting the E-Series cards into the slot of his Robot Selection Machine. He closed the hatch, pulled the lever, and watched the slots spin.

Eggman knew this seemed redundant and unnecessarily extravagant, but he was an over-the-top villain, a man with class. Besides, didn't all mad scientists have giant inventions that can do simple things, even if their creators may or may not know there's an app for that?

As the slots began to slow down, Eggman recognized a few robots that could make the short list. Would it be E-74 Weasel? Or E-42 Checker-Wrecker? Likely not, for the slots passed them by, and it would take a whole revolution of the slots for them to show up again.

Eggman's eyes were glued to the slots as they slowed on E-35 Fujita… but they inched forward again, stopping ultimately on arguably one of the best robot choices: E-23 Missile Wrist.

The mad genius snickered in delight. What a wonderful first robot to unleash on Station Square. Soon they would be vanquished and the Eggman Empire would be founded on their remains!

He was so excited to get ready for the invasion that he almost forgot to look at the selection menu on the touchscreen near the center of the console. It displayed three options: "Confirm", "Spin Again", and "Cancel". With glee, he pressed "Confirm". The cards immediately ejected, and Eggman knew that his chosen robot was being prepared beneath his feet. The Robot Selection Machine was directly hooked up to the underground Badnik factory, which also served as their barracks. Missile Wrist was being prepared for the mission right now.

He picked up the cards, then pulled a rubber band from his suit pocket. Using it to bind the E-Series cards together (he wanted to use them for future attacks), he handed it and the card case to Decoe.

"Is this choice satisfactory, Doctor?" Decoe asked as he put the cards back in the drawer.

"Satisfactory?" Eggman stood up. "It's _ perfect _! I'll admit, there are many other robots I could choose from, but not for first impressions like this one."

Eggman practically ran toward the metro elevator that was cleverly concealed in the back right corner of the command centers.

"Will you personally escort your robots again, Doctor?" Decoe asked. Eggman turned around.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Why would I ever watch my own conquest from the back seat?"

"Understood, Doctor."

"While I'm gone, I want you to oversee Bocoe's repairs, and above all else, keep Bokkun out of my candy!"

"Yes, sir!" Decoe saluted.

Eggman pressed the button for the elevator, and the door opened immediately. The elevator was always set up for a quick escape, so Eggman could head directly to ground level or the underground factory right away.

He stepped inside and pressed the button for the underground robot factory. The doors closed, and the elevator who downward at a dizzying rate. So fast did it move that he almost reconsidered taking the stairs, but the elevator was much faster nonetheless.

It took mere seconds for Eggman to reach the bottom. The door opened, and he found himself in the launch room. Directly in front of him was a giant runway, with a giant, five-story-high door at the start of it. There were stairs that descended to several levels of the Badnik factory, but Eggman did not need them, not when the Eggmobile was conveniently parked right near the door. He stepped into his personal hovercraft and pressed a button that activated its miniature engines. The hovercraft could be customizable with a pair of sidecars for his former hench-bots Orbot and Cubot. He had yet to build some for Decoe and Bocoe. Bokkun, on the other hand, didn't need one; he had a built-in jetpack that provided far more maneuverability.

He sat there in the Eggmobile and waited for Missile Wrist to emerge from the giant door. Moments later, Eggman was a little startled as the door slowly groaned upward, reverberating in an eerie matter in the vast space. Behind the door was a long corridor flanked by many machines and Badniks. Missile Wrist emerged from the corridor. Eight E-33 Buballs were floating above the giant robot. Their name may have been strange, and Eggman was pending changing, but their purpose was simple - escort and airlift large ground-faring Super Badniks and E-Series robots.

Eggman snickered. He was sure the city would be upon its knees by sundown.

He slowly piloted the Eggmobile into takeoff position, then began to pick up speed. The Buballs generated a small field of energy around Missile Wrist, which lifted it into the air, and followed their creator up the runway. A door at the end of the runway opened, and Eggman and Missile Wrist emerged into the open air.

He looked down to see what the island looked like from above. Not an ideal place to build his fortress, but the secret runway was very cleverly concealed. Plus, the view was amazing. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

He set his sights ahead of him. He would have to memorize the way back, but why do that when Decoe could help direct him back? Nevermind that; he was about to take his first step into a larger world – a first step that would lead him to world dominion, starting with Station Square.

* * *

**Station Square - The sewer — Sun August 21; 10:12 — Third-person POV.**

Knuckles the Echidna was wandering aimlessly through the sewers beneath a city he was sent to two nights ago. The smell was eyebrow-raising, but questionably tolerable. Much was on his weary mind.

It was Chaos Control that sent him here. Or, at least, that's what he _ thought _ it was. But it couldn't possibly have been. Chaos Control had never been caused on a scale that massive before by the Chaos Emeralds alone. Knuckles thought he knew his Chaos Emeralds. Apparently there was still much to learn.

Then again, Chaos Control must not have been caused solely by the Emeralds' power. They _ were _, after all, powering a machine that must have influenced their power somehow. Perhaps the shrapnel from the robot he destroyed damaged the machine in such a way so that power was forced back to the Chaos Emeralds, and thus invoking Chaos Control. He decided not to think about it too deeply, though. He was tired.

Whatever the cause, he had nearly thirty-six hours to think about his situation. What a way to go for the last of his kind and sole guardian of the Master Emerald.

Ever since he had awakened in the sewer, he had decided not to leave it, as he didn't want to know what this world's humans thought about seeing a Mobian in their midst. That would spell immediate trouble, and he wasn't about to discover the consequences of being an alien.

Instead, he had stuck to aimlessly wandering the sewers, trying to find a safe place to emerge. Two consecutive nights in this dark, damp place was not his cup of tea, and he had to stay on one side of the sewer passage to avoid treading water – water that would probably be calf-deep for a human, but for a Mobian like him, it would come up to his knees. He tried using his senses to see if there were any Chaos Emeralds nearby. He thought there was a very faint signal of a Emerald, but the exhausted echidna dismissed it. Every now and then he would climb the ladders and peek out of the manholes to decide if it was worth the risk to leave. He knew he had to at some point.

Yesterday, looking out the manholes had paid off. He had realized he was in a city of some sort. But as luck would have it, he also spotted a figure moving carefully through the city.

An all-too familiar figure.

Amy Rose.

* * *

** _Flashback to last night_ **

_ To say the least, Knuckles was surprised to see the pink hedgehog. She was wearing what appeared to be a worn cloak over her to conceal her identity, but the echidna recognized her nonetheless. _

_ "Amy!" he whispered as loud as he dared, so as not to attract the attention of any nearby humans. Fortunately, the manhole was inconspicuously located in an alley. He considered it sheer luck that he was able to find her at that exact time and place. _

_ Fortunately for Knuckles, she heard him the first time, and quickly hurried over. She was holding two bottles of water. _

_ "Here, hand me those," the echidna instructed. Amy handed him the water bottles, and Knuckles placed them on the floor before helping her down the ladder and into the sewer. She scrunched her nose at the sudden scent of the tunnel. _

_ "Am I glad to see you!" Amy sighed in relief. "Good to know I wasn't the only one sent here." _

_ "Yeah." Knuckles noticed that Amy sounded bedraggled and less cheery than she usually was — probably on account of being alone and without food for an extended period of time. He was grateful Mobians could go longer without food or water than humans. _

_ "Now I can finally get rid of this," she said, removing the cloak she had been wearing. _

_ "Let me guess, you were using it to try to blend in?" _

_ "Yeah. I got it at the landfill," she answered distastefully. "It's the best thing I could think of." _

_ "And nobody saw you?" Knuckles wanted to make sure she didn't draw unwanted attention. _

_ "I did draw a few gazes, though, but I'm totally surprised that nobody looked twice. That's because I hid in the allies most of the time." She picked up the water bottles. "That's not something I'm willing to do again. Anyway, I was able to use some loose change I found to pay for some water. Want some?" _

_ "Yeah, thanks." He took the bottle offered to him, unscrewed the cap, and took a swig of water. _

_ "Don't drink it all now," cautioned Amy. "We don't know how long we'll be down here. By the way… why _ are _ we down here?" _

_ "Hiding from the public. They can't know about us… at least, not yet." _

_ "…I understand," Amy responded after a moment's thought. "So… have you been down here this whole time?" _

_ "Yeah, ever since I woke up on this world. I'm hating the sewers more and more." _

_ "I know; I hate them already," Amy replied. "How long do you plan to be down here?" _

_ "Hopefully only one more day. Then we'll have to brave the public, like it or not." _

_ "One more day?!" Amy was incredulous, but at least she kept her voice down. _

_ "I don't like it either, Amy," Knuckles responded. "But it is what it is. Either we can stay here for a little while and come out when the time is right, or we can immediately blow our cover and bring the whole town running. Take your pick." _

_ Amy thought for a bit. Knuckles was a great friend, but sometimes he could be so gruff, not to mention annoying. _

_ "…Fine, we'll stay here. But _ only _ for one day. Besides, I haven't eaten anything since Chaos Control." _

_ "Me neither. But we've dealt with worse before. This is hardly anything different. In fact, this is actually pretty lenient." _

_ Knuckles was referring to the great war that had fought over the course of the last year - the Phantom War. _

** _End flashback_ **

* * *

It had been thirty-six whole hours since they were sent to this planet, and Knuckles and Amy had exchanged their sides of the story since then. While Knuckles had spent all of his time in the sewer since waking up there, Amy had awoken near the landfill, where she came upon the ragged cloak. Needless to say, she was grateful to be away from that place.

Their night underneath the city was mostly sleepless, as well as chilly. They used the discarded cloak as a makeshift blanket, and it did not help matters that Knuckles' snoring kept her up.

Morning finally came, and Knuckles woke up at last, much to Amy's relief. There had been just a little bickering over whether they would leave the sewer immediately. Knuckles said he would know when the time was right.

Now, they were walking together through the sewer. Knuckles appeared to have a lot of thoughts going through his poor, tired brain — the same thoughts that racked him since he arrived on this planet.

"Something on your mind?" Amy asked, trying to ease the tension.

"I hate to say it…" Knuckles muttered. "But it feels like I'm the one at fault for getting us into this mess."

"Knuckles–"

"No, really! If I didn't punch that robot the way I did, none of this would have happened! This was a perfectly preventable situation."

Amy felt sympathetic. Knuckles wasn't known to cave to stress, but this was a life-changing event.

"Knuckles… You really shouldn't beat yourself over this. You had no idea this would happen. None of us knew." Knuckles simply shook his head, and Amy held his hand for comfort. "Besides, if it's anyone's fault, it's Eggman's. He built that machine to begin with."

Knuckles was going to make a remark about how they were going without food, but stopped.

"You're right, Amy… You're right… None of this would have happened if it weren't for Eggman building that machine!" The familiar glint of confidence returned to the echidna. "Chaos Roboticizer, was it? Something in that machine must have been altered to cause Chaos Control. But hey… at least we stopped Eggman's plan."

Amy smiled. Knuckles was finally seeing things the way she did.

Knuckles pulled away from Amy as he realized something else was wrong. "We have to find a way back. Now."

"Let me guess, the Master Emerald?"

Knuckles grimly nodded. "Yes. We must find all seven Chaos Emeralds and invoke Chaos Control so we can all return home." Knuckles gritted his teeth. "So I can at least keep that pickpocket Rouge off my island!"

Amy tried to hide her amusement. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Knuckles," she said. "Rouge decided to give up being a jewel thief while we were together as the Resistance, remember?"

"Doesn't change the fact that she can always turn back to her old ways," muttered the echidna. "At least she isn't here on this world."

"Yeah, that's true," Amy thought. "Oh hey, since we're both here, this can only mean Sonic is here as well!"

Knuckles smirked. Amy had eyes only for Sonic, enough to keep Knuckles thinking of ways to tease Sonic about their… ahem… relationship. But not now, though. The situation at hand was too grim.

"I would hope so," Knuckles nodded. "He's the only one of us who can bodily harness the power of the seven Emeralds."

"But didn't Sonic tell me you became Hyper Knuckles at some point?" a confused Amy asked.

"That was under special circumstances only," Knuckles briefly explained. "My DNA cannot directly channel Chaos energy unaided like that. Same with Tails." He paused. "Speaking of Tails, did you see him or anyone else before you came down here?"

"No, sorry," reminisced Amy after a moment.

"If I'm right, we all woke up in different places, so it's a miracle we managed to—"

"Ohmigosh! Cream!" Amy exclaimed. "She's out there all alone! She must be really afraid!"

"All the more reason to reunite and try to get home," Knuckles said with determination. "I can only hope she's in good hands right now."

"I hope so too." She counted on her fingers who all was Chaos Controlled to this planet. "So those who were sent here were me, you, Sonic, Cream, Cheese, Tails, and Eggman and his hench-bots?"

Knuckles nodded. "Sounds about right. And with Eggman here — and that's still unconfirmed right now — he's probably gonna keep us guessing when his next attack will be."

"On the bright side… at least Sonic won't be bored." She knew Sonic could be driven insane if Eggman wasn't around to occupy him sometimes. He was practically lightning in a bottle on those days.

"Yeah. He's not bored because I'll bet he's exposed himself to the world already!"

That was a bold accusation. Amy tried to hold in her temper. She didn't like it when anyone spoke negatively of Sonic.

"What makes you say that?" was all she said.

"What makes me say that? Sonic's always reckless, always throwing himself headfirst into danger, no matter the cost. And you know what?" He stopped pacing, a smirk forming. "I kinda like him that way."

Amy felt relieved. At least he wasn't speaking trash talk about her self-proclaimed boyfriend. That was the last thing she needed now.

"Without Sonic, the war against Infinite would be far from over," she added. "On a related topic, have you considered starting a new Resistance once we're all gathered?"

The question caught him off guard. "Er, no. It's too early for that here, I'm afraid. Besides, that was for when Eggman actually succeeded in conquering Mobius. This time around, the inhabitants of this planet don't know about us, and so far, there's no sign of Eggman. So I say wait a little while longer."

"But when Eggman _ does _ show up," Amy said, "we'll be ready."

"Yes," Knuckles nodded, "we will."

* * *

**Station Square Beach — Sun August 21; 10:19 AM — Third-person POV**

It was a beautiful day to be at the Station Square Beach. Kids were building sand castles. Teens were surfing. Some of the older folks were just reading or sunbathing. Today was the last day of summer vacation, which meant there were more people than usual throughout the Sandy coast. The lifeguards were going to be busy…

A man and his girlfriend were playing volleyball. Good thing the nets were set up beforehand, for people sure loved volleyball at this beach.

When the ball bounced to his side, the boyfriend accidentally spiked the ball a little too hard. It landed in a shallow part of the ocean not far away. Fortunately there was a sea breeze that day, so there was no risk of the ball being washed away.

"Sorry!" he called as he ran toward the ocean to retrieve the ball, but his girlfriend was faster.

"That's okay; I got it," she replied.

As she entered the water to retrieve the ball, she couldn't help but notice a dark, foreboding shadow in the distance. She knew enough about sharks to get out of the water should one be spotted. But Station Square hadn't had a shark attack in nearly sixty years. Besides, this was a little too big to be—

Then it started moving toward her.

Closer and closer.

She soon learned this was no shark.

No, it was far too large and metallic. And tall. It had to be a good fifty feet tall.

Whatever this thing was, it was downright unearthly.

Speaking of unearthly, that was the kind of scream she let out as she ran from the water, abandoning the beach ball, and joined her boyfriend. They, like everyone else, began stampeding and running for their lives as this… _ thing _… began to lumber out of the water and onto the beach.

The lifeguard on duty blew his whistle. "Everyone out of the water and off the beach!" he ordered, though his words fell on deaf ears. Besides, they were doing that anyway.

The lifeguard began to descend the lifeguard tower, but the robot had other ideas. It pointed its conical hand directly at him like a weapon. Before the lifeguard could react, the robot launched its rocket-like hand at the tower, completely splintering it. Pieces of the tower flew everywhere, and the impact sent the lifeguard flying a good ten feet away. Fortunately, he managed to escape with only minor injuries.

The robot began to turn away from him, so he took this as his opportunity to dial 911. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in the three-day number.

"911, what is your emergency?" said the operator.

"Uh, there's a giant robot coming ashore at Lakeshore Beach. It sounds crazy, I know, but believe me."

"I believe you. And you're not the only caller. We're already dispatching officers to the scene."

The lifeguard watched as the giant robot began lumbering across the beach. It moved surprisingly quickly for being a large fifty-foot tall robot. The lifeguard cringed as he heard the sound of cars being smashed in the parking lot. He feared this was only the beginning of its rampage. Unfortunately, he was right.

He stood up and, while running to safety, watched the robot cross the street in the distance, crushing several more cars in the process. But that wasn't the only threat. No, there was someone far more intelligent flanking the robot.

The lifeguard was able to see someone in what looked like a round hovercraft floating near the robot. Even over the screams of terrified people and the honking of horns, he was able to clearly hear him shout something to the robot.

"Welcome to Station Square, E-23 Missile Wrist!"

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Outside — Sun August 21; 10:23 AM — Chris' POV**

It was an average Sunday morning here at home.

Actually, scratch that; things will never be "normal" again for me.

Grandpa thought it would be a great idea to treat us to Dunkin' Donuts this morning, so he had bought us a box of a dozen donuts. The donut lover that I was, I was sitting at a long white plastic folding table that was set up in the grass near the driveway, enjoying the donuts. While dessert in the morning was a no-no in Ella's book (with some rare exceptions), Grandpa saw no harm in bending that rule a little. Besides, it wasn't like Ella knew about my new friends anyway.

Cream and Cheese were also sitting in a seat next to me. There was also a seat for Tails, but he politely declined for the time being; he was busy giving the Tornado a well-needed cleaning. Grandpa was standing by, ready to help out whenever he was needed.

"This is a really nice plane you have, Tails," commented Grandpa as he looked over the small biplane's fuselage. "I know I probably said that already, but still."

Tails smiled, blushing a little.

"I've been wondering, Chuck," he spoke as he swept the power washer across the left wing, "how have you managed to keep the Tornado a secret from Ella and Tanaka this whole time? Surely the sound of the engine will pique their curiosity."

"Oh, that was easy," Grandpa chuckled.

Tails momentarily stopped his work and turned to Grandpa, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well, yesterday, I told them that I would be working on a 'secret project' over the next few days, and that they would hear the sound of an engine occasionally. So far, it's working."

"Yeah, but I don't know how long you'll be able to hold out. They're going to find out sooner or later."

"Oh, They'll know eventually," Grandpa said as Tails finished with the cleaning and turned off the hose. "But for now, the time just isn't right. I'm sure I'll know when it is."

"Okay," the fox replied as he began to put the hose away. "Now that I'm more awake today, I should probably re-evaluate the Tornado to make sure everything is in working order."

"That's a good idea," nodded Grandpa. "Anything I can do to help?"

They soon began their work, launching into gearhead talk that went over my head — ironic, since I wanted to be an inventor like Dad and Grandpa when I grew up.

I turned back to the table. "Cream, do they have donuts where you come from?" I asked in curiosity.

"Yes," Cream responded once she finished swallowing, "but Cheese and I have only had them two or three times, and those were at birthdays or other parties."

"That's sad," I said after a moment's pause. "But now that you and your friends are here, we can treat you to donuts more often! Would you like that?"

"Oh yes! Thank you, Chris!" she exclaimed.

"Chao chao!" Cheese chimed in.

I took it the times they _ did _ have donuts, they really liked them. I'm so glad that they could be able to have more of the things they loved now that they were living with me. But there was a tinge of sadness. I was already enjoying my newfound friends too much. I chided myself not to become too attached, as they had to leave after they gathered the Chaos Emeralds. But I brushed that thought away as a new question popped in my head.

"Do you happen to know where Sonic is?"

"Mr. Sonic said he was going on a run," the young rabbit answered. "He wanted to run every day so he could know this planet better."

I tried to hide my frown, knowing that Sonic would be caught in a heartbeat, but Cream easily saw through my masquerade.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Chris?" I had to smile at the child's politeness.

"Just Chris is fine," I said, "and yes, I'm worried about Sonic. He's going to be seen by everyone!"

"What's wrong with that?" Cream asked.

I shook my head slightly. "You don't understand," I said, trying not to be rude. "He broke into a government base to rescue you yesterday, but today he's basically exposing himself to the public just because he can!" I paused to calm down a little. "When he came here, Sonic told me the police were after him… Even if Area 99 didn't happen, the police would still go after him… just for being different!" 

Cream shuddered a little at the memory of Area 99, and I immediately regretted mentioning it. I hoped it would not become a trigger word for her. I had never been to Area 99 myself, but if Cream thought it was that bad, then I decided it best not to go there any time soon.

"I know Mr. Sonic, and I know that no one can catch him," Cream answered. "Mr. Chris…" She leaned forward across the table. "Your grandfather would want you to believe…"

I wanted to say something else, but Cream was right, as much as I didn't want to admit it. At the same time, though, as young as she was, she didn't seem to grasp the full concept of being trapped on a planet she had never been to before, inhabited with people who were pretty much trigger-happy when it came to dealing with aliens.

I knew that Grandpa wanted me to believe that Sonic could overcome his trials and eventually get himself and his friends back home… He may have been cocky and a little reckless when it came to getting Cream and Cheese out of Area 99, but he got the job done, just as he said he would. That was reason enough to trust him, but…

I think it was because of trust issues I had growing up. There were times my parents said they would come home… but they never did at that time. Then I would have to wait weeks, even months before I could see them again. I couldn't deal with it anymore.

And I was only twelve.

In Sonic's case, though, he vowed to rescue Cream and Cheese from the government, and he did just that. That was what made him different from my parents. He actually carried through with his promises.

As I slowly chewed on my second donut, a Boston cream one, a new thought came to mind. What if Sonic was running to cope?

Being thrown into another world without any explanation, I imagine, would be pretty traumatic. Being forced against your will to leave everything and everyone you've ever known, and finding yourself in a foreign land, surrounded by unfamiliar people and scenery. I didn't help that everyone was pretty hostile thus far.

Sonic seemed to be handling this situation quite well. There were times, such as last night, where I would catch him on the roof, and he would tell me he was "just thinking". It didn't take a genius to know what he was thinking about.

I asked him if he missed Mobius, and he told me that while it's fun to explore new places, even new planets, there's really no place like home. I had to agree. This was why I wanted to help them return home as soon as possible.

Tails was doing a good job coping with being away from Mobius himself. Sure, he had a small moment of being homesick, but I was super grateful for my grandfather for being there for him. He was like an emotional painkiller in human form.

Cream, on the other hand, was really brave. She was only six, and earlier this morning, when I asked if she was going to be okay, Tails told me that she broke down thinking about her mother, and how she missed her. That broke my heart as well. This was even more of a reason to get the Mobians home as soon as possible.

"Chris?" Grandpa called from somewhere behind the Tornado.

"Yeah?" I called back.

Grandpa came into view. "I'm going to check on Ella and Tanaka. Could you stand by in case Tails needs anything?"

"Sure thing, Grandpa!" I answered.

"I'll be back in less than five minutes!" Grandpa called as he broke into a run toward the house.

I stood up. "Could you save me at least one donut for when I'm finished?" I asked Cream.

"Okay, Mr. Chris," she answered sweetly as I headed toward Tails and the Tornado. I couldn't help but smile when I was around her. She was so polite, which is something I unfortunately couldn't say of many people today.

Since I returned inside after meeting Tails and Cream, I had only seen them one other time yesterday, and that was when I was saying good night to them. Of course, I couldn't stop thinking about them all day, and I even had to think of other answers to Ella's probing questions about why I was smiling a lot that day.

I casually glanced at Tails. He was lying on a dolly, busy working on the undercarriage the Tornado. A case of tools and a cloth was next to him. It really amazed me that someone as young as he was could build all this neat stuff, not to mention he could actually fly a plane. Here, you had to be in your late teens to early twenties at the earliest if you want to fly.

"Need help with anything?" I asked, hoping to do more than stand around and helplessly watch.

"Not at the moment," he replied as he tightened a screw. "But could you please turn off the TV in the lab? It's kinda distracting."

"Sure," I replied, and headed into the garage. As I climbed the wooden stairs into Grandpa's lab, I could tell that the TV was left on the news. Grandpa's room was set up as both his research room and bedroom.

The TV remote was left on the desk on the other side of the room. I reached for it, and was about to press the button to turn it off, when I became aware of what the new story was.

My eyes were drawn to the largest words along the bottom of the screen, something that shouldn't have existed in real life…

"Giant Robot Attacks City"

Sure enough, the live drone feed was recording a giant robot stomping on cars and using its stretchy hands to punch holes in buildings. While random, this was awful. The damage cost would be pretty high, and so were the number of questions in my head.

Need I see more.

Forgetting to pause the TV, I raced down the stairs, almost tripping along the way, and ran out of the garage.

"Guys! You gotta see this!"

"What? What is it?" Tails became flustered.

"Giant robot is invading the city!"

Wow. That sounded weird coming from me. Usually giant robots exist in fiction, but no, this was very real. And I shouldn't have even been this excited. No, I should have been terrified that my own city was being destroyed by a robot.

Tails immediately rolled his dolly out from underneath the plane and leaped up, being careful not to hit his head on the Tornado's wing, before running after me into the garage. Cream also got up and followed suit with Cheese.

"That's gotta be Eggman!" Tails exclaimed as we climbed the stairs.

There was that name Eggman again. I had questions.

"Who?" I asked.

"I'll explain in a few. First I gotta see what this is."

In seconds, Tails, Cream, and I were up in the lab, standing in front of the TV. Local reporter Mark Lopez was covering the story.

"…believe the man inside that hovercraft is directly responsible for this robot attack. The police have been called out to deal with the situation. If you are just joining us, a giant robot is wreaking havoc in Station Square. This is not a hoax. We strongly advise you to evacuate the area…"

"Yup. That's Eggman all right," confirmed Tails before turning to me. "Here, could we mute this real quick?" I reached over for the controller and pressed the mute button.

"Okay, so Dr. Eggman, or Dr. Ivo Robotnik as he is properly called, is an evil genius with an IQ of 300 — about as smart as I am."

"Wait, three _ hundred _?! Is that even possible?" I was incredulous.

"Yeah…?" shrugged Tails. "I take it they measure IQ differently in this world?"

"Well, from what my parents told me, 125 is gifted, and it's rare to see people higher than that."

"Huh. Well, I can tell you, Eggman is not a genius for nothing. In fact, he's smart enough to design killer robots called Badniks, and he's been using it to conquer Mobius and turn it into the Eggman Empire."

I felt my pulse rise a little, as if my moment of running earlier didn't make my heart pump faster already.

"Then that means if he's here… he's already at work doing that!"

"Don't panic, Chris," Tails encouraged. "We've stopped his plans many, _ many _ times before. We can do it again." He smiled mischievously. "Hey, wanna hear something funny about him?"

"Okay…?"

"At the center of this Eggman Empire he wants to create, he has plans for a giant carnival called Eggman Land!"

I allowed myself to laugh a little. "What, really? Is he serious?"

Tails's expression became sullen once more. "Trust me, Chris, it's _ deadly _ serious. It's a theme park where everyone are robots. It's actually no fun at all."

"Oh…"

Just then Cream looked up from the muted TV and asked the million-dollar question. "When is Mr. Sonic coming back?"

"I don't know," answered Tails. "He said he needs time to adapt to this world." He glanced at the clock. "Give him about half an hour, okay? I'm positive he'll return to fight Eggman in time." Tails turned back to the TV. "In fact, I should probably get out there to stop him myself, or at least keep him at bay until Sonic returns."

"What are you all doing up here?" a new voice asked in curiosity.

We all turned to see Grandpa emerging through the trap door and entering the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the TV, and I could see shock form on his face.

As Tails began explaining the situation to Grandpa, I became more and more frightened the more I looked at the screen and the robot's rampage. I couldn't believe my city, my very own home city of Station Square, California, was actively being destroyed by a mad scientist and his giant robot. I became afraid that it would eventually come after my house next. Why I was excited earlier, I didn't know.

Before I knew it, Cream and Cheese were by my side, trying to comfort me. "Don't be afraid, Chris," she said sweetly. "Mr. Sonic can easily defeat Dr. Eggman."

"But he risked his neck rescuing you," I spoke, trying not to spook her with yesterday's memory. "Can he really destroy a giant killer robot?"

I immediately regretted what I had just said. I was doubting Sonic again. What was wrong with me?!

"_ Can _ he?" Tails laughed. "You bet! It's pretty much child's play for him, actually."

I was about to respond that this would bring even worse consequences, but I heard Grandpa's voice from yesterday telling me to have the kind of faith he had. After all, I didn't know if Sonic would be our last hope.

"You know what, Chris?" Tails began, as if he was reading my thoughts. "Maybe you could come with me in the Tornado and help look for Sonic. If we don't find him before long, then we'll take on Eggman's robot. Besides, you'll be able to see—"

"I don't think so, Tails," Grandpa cut him off before I could get too excited. "For one, Chris has never been in a plane that small before, and two… I don't want him getting hurt." 

"I understand, Chuck," responded Tails.

"And you both have no idea what that robot is capable of."

Tails was silent for a moment. "Then I won't take on the robot until after we land back here. I promise I'll take good care of Chris while we're away."

Grandpa relented a little. "I hope you do," he said. "I don't want to lose my son's only child."

Tails solemnly nodded. He was like, _ eight _, and here he was entrusted to the protection of someone four years older than him. I guess age on Mobius wasn't everything after all.

Finally Grandpa nodded. "All right, Chris, you may go. As well you should; you've always been saying you don't want to grow up to be a bore in the office like your dad, haven't you?"

I blushed. Please, not in front of my friends... "Please don't tell him I said that," I pleaded, blushing. Tails stifled a giggle, which made me blush even more.

"You guys…" Tails bemusedly shook his head. "Okay, Chris, follow me," he instructed.

He propped open the trap door and started down the stairs. I followed behind him, watching his tails swaying as he ran toward his plane.

"It might be a good idea to bring your football helmet," Grandpa called from upstairs.

I was confused for a moment, but nodded. "Okay," I said as I scooped up my red helmet from a shelf and strapped it on. I had it so I could practice at home for my school football team.

Once I reached the plane, I was unsure how to mount it to get in. Fortunately, Tails was standing on the left wing, and he pulled me up and onto the wing. I had to admit, for someone as small as he was, he was actually pretty strong. From there, I crawled over to the back seat and sat down.

"All set back there?" Tails asked as he sat down in front of the controls.

I buckled in, listening for the satisfying snap of the seat belt. "All set," I replied, slightly nervous. Not only was this plane small, but I was about to be airborne for the first time in a year.

"I'm starting the engines!" announced Tails as he pressed a button. The plane roared to life, startling me. I had never seen it fly before, so I had no idea how loud it would be.

"Goodbye!" I heard Cream call as she and Cheese emerged from the garage with Grandpa just behind them.

"Chao Chao!" waved Cheese.

"Bye!" I waved back.

"Take care of Chris, Tails!" Grandpa called. "And Chris listen to Tails if he needs you for anything, stay safe, and above all, have a good time."

"I will," I replied.

I waved as we began to taxi forward. I was a little nervous, I'll admit. This was my first time in any open-cockpit plane, and the engines were a little loud, enough that I couldn't really talk if I wanted to.

Just when it seemed we were running out of driveway, Tails pulled back on the joystick, and we became airborne. I felt the pressure on my chest as we smoothly rose into the air.

Sonic could be anywhere in this city. Where would a hedgehog capable of achieving mach-speed be hiding? And would we find him before this Dr. Eggman succeeded in his goal?

Only time would tell. And time was very much of the essence.

* * *

**Station Square - Uptown — Sun Aug 21; 10:29 AM — Third-person POV**

East 82nd Avenue was nothing short of totaled.

Some cars were completely crushed, while others had their alarms going off. There were random gaping holes in buildings. The streets of uptown Station Square were becoming increasingly devoid of people. Pandemonium hung in the air as Missile Wrist rampaged through the city, followed closely by Dr. Eggman in the Eggmobile.

At last, tires squealed as several police cars pulled up, followed by a few police vans. Officer spilled out of the vehicles and prepared their riot gear and guns, hoping they would be of some effect.

Police Captain Evan Albright stepped out of his car with a megaphone. He addressed Eggman: "In the name of the Station Square Police Department, I order you to stand down and surrender your robot!" No way did he imagine he would ever say those words in his wildest dreams.

Eggman dropped his altitude to Albright's level. "The police…" he sneered. "Why do _ you _ think you can stop me?"

"Don't resist, whoever you are," Albright retorted. To the other police, he said, "Ready your weapons! Find any weak spots on that robot."

It took mere seconds for the other officers to prime their weapons.

"Fire!"

The officers fired at several potential weak points, the neck pivot and knee joints being two of them. To their chagrin, the bullets effortlessly ricocheted off the robot's armor, and empty bullet shells began littering the street.

"Cease fire!" Albright ordered. "This isn't working."

"Of _ course _ it isn't working!" crowed Eggman. "This is superior technology! Nothing you pathetic humans can create will best, or even rival my tech. You may as well go home and cry to your mommy."

Albright was unfazed. "…Who do you think you are?" he demanded.

"Ah-ah-ah!" the rotund man waved a finger. "Don't rush my schedule. All will be revealed in due time."

"You do realize who's in charge here."

"Of course!" beamed Eggman.

"You have already infringed countless laws. In fact, the giant robot act alone is enough to incriminate you."

"Oh, so you think you can arrest me, eh?" Eggman leaned forward. "Try me. I dare you."

Without a word of retort, Albright drew his Glock and fired a few rounds at the Eggmobile. Not only did it do nothing, but a round energy canopy surrounded Eggman, effectively protecting him. The mad scientist laughed heartily. At this rate, the military would have to be called in.

"You may command this band of wimps, Officer, but who is next on the chain of command? I wish to speak with him," Eggman demanded, crossing his arms.

"Uh…" Albright was taken aback at this sudden request. "The Chief of Police. If you won't answer to me for your crimes, you'll certainly answer to him."

"Not good enough!" Eggman interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If the police have proven themselves unworthy to take on E-23 Missile Wrist, what can their chief do? Get me the mayor pronto if you value your badges!"

He pointed forward, and Missile Wrist began to stomp menacingly toward the officers. There was no time for them to scramble to their cars; they were forced to leave on foot as Missile Wrist made short work of the law enforcement vehicles.

All twelve of them.

* * *

**The sewer — Sun Aug 21; 10:25 AM — Third-person POV**

Knuckles and Amy were taking a well-needed rest in the sewer. They couldn't really sit down, as they had been trudging through dark, murky water for most of the time. As Mobians were naturally hardier and more durable than humans, they were not nearly as starving as an human would be on thirty-six hours without food.

"How much longer are we going to stay down here, Knuckles?" asked a slightly impatient Amy, who was sitting on one of the ladder rungs nearby so she wouldn't tread water.

"Ten minutes," Knuckles spoke for the first time in some time. "Can you wait ten minutes? Then it'll finally be time to see daylight."

He promptly returned to his thoughtful silence. Needless to say, he was thinking about the Master Emerald again.

However, Amy broke into his thoughts once more. "Do you think we'll be able to get back home? Like, ever?"

Knuckles opened his eyes. "I don't _ think _ , I _ know _." Amy turned to him.

"Exile from Mobius is _ not _ how the story ends. I _ will _ gather all seven Chaos Emeralds, I _ will _ have Sonic invoke Chaos Control, I _ will _ get everyone back home, and I _ will _ get back to the Master Emerald. Count on it."

Knuckles was so determined, and Amy knew it. "I admire your enthusiasm, Knuckles," replied Amy, "but you're going to need help, and I'm going to help you." She smiled through her fatigue. "You know you can't talk me out of it."

"I guess not…" the echidna sighed. " I really don't need ask for help with gathering treasure. But dire situations call for dire measures." He paused for a second, glancing upward, before speaking again. "This time, I'm gonna need all the help I can get. The sooner we gather the Chaos Emeralds, the sooner we can get off this—"

"Uh, Knuckles?"

"What?"

"That sound… Do you think that's…"

Her voice trailed off as they strained to hear the noise that increasingly reverberated through the tunnel they were in. It sounded like a deep, steady thumping noise. The way it echoed through the dark sewer tunnel was almost as if it were out of a horror movie. Amy hopped off the run she had been sitting on and moved closer to Knuckles for support. She was glad Cream was not here; she would have thought this was too scary.

"Eggman!" Knuckles leaped up, almost slipping on the wet tunnel floor. "About _ time _ he showed his ugly mug around here."

"Wait, Knuckles!" Amy stood up as well. "We can't fight him yet. We need more energy!"

"I know, but we can't afford to wait around for it!" Knuckles justified as the thumping got louder. "Safety first. Them's the rules of the Resistance."

Amy couldn't deny that. The safety of civilians always came first, no matter whatever personal ailments the Resistance had. Unless they were injured, which they weren't in this case; only hungry and tired.

"But how are we going to go this, Knuckles? Everyone's going to see us!"

Knuckles turned to face Amy. "We have to bite the bullet. There's no other way."

"I guess you're right…"

The echidna walked over to the ladder and placed one foot on the first rung before turning to Amy. "I'll go first to check the gravity of the situation. It may be too dangerous to go up there right now."

"Okay," the pink hedgehog nodded as Knuckles mounted the ladder. He carefully lifted the manhole cover and surveyed his surroundings.

The carnage told the whole story. Cars were destroyed. There was a fire or two coming from the buildings. Shattered glass was everywhere. The sounds of people screaming could be heard in the distance, and police officers were trying to control the crowds. There were a few indents of the robot's steps in the road. 

Turning the other way, the echidna could see more of the same, he also saw the giant robot walking away. He knew for sure Eggman was behind this.

Knuckles quickly replaced the manhole cover and looked down. 

"Well?" Amy wondered.

"It's bad," Knuckles said. "But it's to be expected." He took on a look of confusion. "Apparently Eggman only had enough resources to send out _ one _ robot? I really kinda expected more from him."

"Yeah, that _ does _ sound strange…" Amy mused. "But it's possible he still has all the resources he had in his fortress, assuming the whole building was sent here as well."

"That's still unconfirmed as of now, but I'll look into it. Right now, it's time to take down Eggman!"

"Were you able to identify it?" Amy asked as she started to climb the ladder.

"Identify what?"

"The robot. Can you tell what kind it is?"

"It's hard to tell given the distance, but I'd say it's an E-31 Missile Wrist." That research mission really paid off. Now the heroes would be more prepared against Eggman's E-Series robots.

"Ready for this?" Knuckles asked, placing one hand on the manhole cover.

"You bet," answered Amy.

"Then as Sonic would say, 'Let's do it to it!'"

He vaulted the manhole cover into the air and climbed out of the sewer, being forced to squint at the sudden bright sunlight. After helping Amy up to the street as well, they ran in the direction Knuckles last saw the robot go in.

* * *

**The Eckstein Center – Sun August 21; 10:32 AM – Third-person POV**

Today was not a particularly busy day at the Eckstein Center.

There were only a few dozen people here and there inside the eighty-story skyscraper. Ranking among the tallest structures in Station Square, it consisted of mainly offices dedicated to the technology industry, but it also had a Starbucks on the first floor. However, it was best known for being the headquarters of Station Square's branch of Starship Soft.

Sundays were off-days for most employees at the Eckstein Center, but there were still some workers here. Today they were performing the final touches on a new computer program that would greatly benefit the WM garbage company.

They were completely oblivious to the giant robot outside…

Until now.

A security guard frantically entered the main lobby from one of the side doors. "Everyone evacuate the building!" he warned. "Giant war machine outside! Everyone out!"

Confused as they were, everyone on the ground level immediately heeded the warning and quickly filed out the fire exits. In the very next moment, the giant robot crashed through the front door, as well as the surrounding wall and windows, giving way to screams and dropped possessions. The robot began to meander further into the building. A few people were unfortunately injured in the resulting stampede.

The robot stopped moving once it reached the center of the lobby. Several other security officers ran into the room and fired their pistols at the robot. Round after round pinged off the machine's impregnable armor.

Just then a man in a round, egg-shaped hovercraft flew into the lobby through the hole created by the robot. The officers trained their weapons on him, but the man seemed not to notice.

"Missile Wrist, meet me at the top of this building. It's time for me to prepare for my introductory speech."

With that, he flew back outside, but not before the guards heard him say "Decoe, am I set for my big debut?"

Now that there was nothing left to do, the security guards fled toward the elevators, but stopped so they could still observe the robot.

One of the guards turned to another. "Whoever that man is, he's behind this."

"I know. It's scary knowing we can't really do anything about this."

"Just called the military. GUN's on their way," a third reported, having just entered the room.

"Let's hope they get here in time," the second guard said, looking around at the damage the robot had caused. "Assuming there _ is _ still a city left."

Suddenly the robot pointed its right arm upward, and converted its conical hand into what appeared to be a grappling hook.

"Look out! He's headed for the roof!"

"Clear!"

The robot fired the grappling hook through the ceiling, resulting in numerous crashing sounds and more screaming. After fifteen seconds, it slowly began to rise into the air, gradually picking up momentum. The robot effortlessly burst through floor after floor until the sound died down, raining bits of ceiling and dust down.

The guards were speechless for a while. Finally, one picked up his radio.

"Get some paramedics to the upper levels and ensure that everyone is out of the Eckstein Building."

_ "Copy that." _

The officer put away his radio. It was going to be a loooong couple of weeks…

* * *

**The mayor's office — Sun August 21; 10:32 AM — Third-person POV**

A frantic advisor rushed into Mayor Aaron Pinsky's office.

"Sir, are you aware of the giant robot attack going on?" he asked.

"Yes," the mayor replied. "I just got off the phone with the military. They're dispatching GUN units now."

"We just got word from the police that the man behind all this wants to see you immediately," the advisor reported.

"The man's a terrorist. He has no right to demand anything of me." Mayor Pinsky stood up. "Nevertheless, I need to see what he wants. Perhaps negotiation is possible."

"The way he's destroying this city, I doubt he'd listen."

The mayor walked toward the door. "If I can negotiate with this man, perhaps he will listen and cease his rampage. Prepare my limo. I'm heading out there."

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:33 AM — Chris' POV**

As we circled around Harris Bingham Memorial Park, I couldn't help but admire the incredible (and dizzying) view from above.

Sure, I was a little nervous, considering we were about a thousand feet up, but the scenery below us completely made up for it. The statue of the city's first mayor, the park's namesake, appeared to be smaller than it really was. Even the fountain and playground looked like toys from my perspective.

And that doesn't even mention how great Tails was as a pilot. He kept us flying smoothly the whole duration of our flight thus far. In short, he was more than gifted. He was a natural.

But no. This wasn't a joyride. We were supposed to be looking for Sonic. The city was in danger.

The plane's single engine was pretty loud, and the monotonous drone it produced probably would have pulled me to sleep had Tails not spoken up then.

"Doing okay back there, Chris?"

"Yeah," I shouted back. It was a little difficult to hear myself over the engine. I was slowly getting used to it, though.

I held onto the side of the plane as Tails banked left, grateful that even Mobian vehicles had seat belts. As we leveled out once more, I scanned the ground both directly below us and in the distance.

Sonic came up to just below my chest, which meant he would be barely above waist height for the average adult. Grandpa measured and weighed him yesterday; he was about three feet and three inches tall and weighed seventy-seven pounds. Since he was about the height of a kindergartner, more or less, he would be tricky to spot, especially if he was standing still. Since he claimed to move faster than the speed of sound (I still had to see that in person), spotting him in motion wouldn't be any easier.

Where was he?!

"Still don't see him!" I reported as I scanned the horizon for maybe the twentieth time. I knew everyone below could see us, but if our city was in danger, did all of that really matter?

"I think there's something you need to know about Sonic," Tails told me.

"What is it?" I asked.

Tails scanned the roads and buildings himself for a moment before answering. "Sonic's got some kind of sixth sense for danger, so most of the time, he'll know what's happening and come to the rescue right away."

"Really?"

"Trust me; I've been on the receiving end of some of those rescues myself."

I hoped to myself that I would never be put in enough danger to need rescuing myself. Then again, my new friends only just got here. It was way too early to count my chickens.

So Sonic could sense that his friends were in danger? _ That _ was something. I began wondering how that worked. Was telepathy at play here…? I quickly ruled that out; no way did Sonic look like he could be capable of that.

Just then I noticed what looked like a yellow tablet in a compartment next to Tails' seat. I think he called it the Miles Electric or something.

Then I got a random idea.

"Hey, can we track Sonic using your tablet?" I suggested.

"Sorry…" he responded. "The Miles Electric doesn't really work that way. I like your thinking, though."

Well, that was a disappointment…

To think that an eight-year-old from another planet built a tablet himself… That took a very special kind of genius, and I began to wonder how many others were like him on his world? If this Dr. Eggman had an IQ of 300, could that mean Tails was just as smart as he was, if not smarter?

It was very little wonder Grandpa took an immediate liking to him. And since I was kinda into tech myself, I could envision fun times all around with me and Tails.

Also, I still couldn't get over the fact that he actually _ built _ this plane himself from scratch. I mean, no one on this world had that kind of capability. He could very easily give Elon Musk a run for his money!

As I continued daydreaming about the fun times we would have together, I heard Tails break into my thoughts.

"Chris, look," he called.

"Huh?" I looked up to see nothing but a giant holo-screen being projected into the air. On the screen was a man with pince-nez glasses, a pair of goggles up on his bald head, and a giant brown mustache. He was grinning evilly, and a sinking feeling filled my stomach.

"Is that Dr. Eggman?" I asked.

"Yes it is," confirmed Tails, "and I have a feeling we're about to find out what he wants this time."

Dr. Eggman cleared his throat.

I gulped.

"Greetings, citizens of Station Square," he spoke in a gravelly voice. "In case you haven't noticed, I took the liberty of hacking every television, phone, and tablet in this city to bring you an important message you dare not miss.

"First of all, my name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, or, if you wish to take after my nemesis, Dr. Eggman will suffice as well. I am a genius scientist with one goal in life, one single goal, and that goal is to create the Eggman Empire. That's why I am here. The Eggman Empire's foundation will be laid upon the smoldering ruins of this wretched city!"

I almost choked. As cartoonish as he seemed, he was dead serious about his threat. Dread overcame me as Eggman continued.

"Resistance is futile, in case you haven't already guessed. If any of you dare raise a fist against me — and this goes especially to you, military — you can be sure I will deal with you swiftly. Now, there will be some of you who won't take me seriously. You might be asking what planet I come from. Well, I can tell you that planet is _ infested _ with evil rodents who want to stop me from creating the Eggman Empire. They're even highly opposed to me building a theme park for the kiddies! Such nerve! So if you see anyone named Sonic the Hedgehog, or anyone affiliated with him, you must report him to me immediately!"

Eggman rambled on further, but I stopped listening around that point. I could tell Tails was still listening intently to Eggman's terms and boasts, but what got me was the fact that he went from demanding the surrender of the city to guilting its citizens into reporting Sonic as a villain. I mean, it seemed weird that he would straddle both sides of the moral fence. Was he going to play the good guy or the bad guy? That was immediately made clear with the giant robot. He was a bad guy for sure.

"Submit, or be the first to be decimated by the great Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik!" he finished, followed by a sinister, yet cartoonish laugh.

This couldn't be happening…

He was a real villain.

Tails must have seen me go pale or something, for he looked concerned when he briefly looked back to face me.

"Are you okay…?" he asked.

"This can't be real…" I spoke, albeit too quietly.

"What did you say?" asked Tails, before shaking his head. "This is all the more reason we need to get Sonic here." He looked around at the streets below us. "See the robot anywhere?"

Oh no. I did _ not _ like where this was going.

"I thought Grandpa said we're not supposed to—"

"I hate to say it, but it's too late for that now," Tails said. That didn't settle well with me. "…That robot's gotta be down there somewhere."

I too scanned the streets of the city below. "I don't see it," I reported. "It's a giant robot; it really shouldn't be hard to— Wait, there it is!"

The robot was just emerging atop the Eckstein Center, one of the tallest buildings in Station Square. Judging solely from its approach, I knew the damage inside would be catastrophic, and probably take a very long time to fix. I hated to think about it.

"Okay then!" Tails braced himself for action. "Time to beat Eggman!" He glanced back at me, looking concerned. "I hope you're gonna be okay back there, Chris. We're about to go into open combat."

"…O-okay…" I shakily responded.

He gradually steered us toward the Eckstein Center, the robot… _ and hopefully not our impending doom _, I silently hoped.

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:38 AM; Third-person POV.**

Eggman pressed the button that deactivated the giant holo-screen. Now that his message had been broadcast, it was up to the humans to do what they wished. Not that it mattered, of course. He overpowered them a hundredfold, and he wasn't afraid to flaunt it.

A quick glance at the street below revealed that people everywhere were holding up their cell phones to record him. Good… He definitely had the city's attention. Now all he needed was the presence of the mayor.

He looked down again to see a back limousine pull up, along with a police escort. "Finally," muttered Eggman under his breath, even though it had only been about ten minutes since his request had been put out.

Mayor Pinsky stepped out of his car with a megaphone. Surely he would need it to address a madman hovering hundreds of feet above him.

He took a deep breath. "Dr. Robotnik, in the name of the Station Square Police Department, I order your immediate and unconditional surrender!"

Eggman reactivated his microphone and chuckled, amused by the mayor's authoritative, yet pitiful attempt to get him to surrender.

"Who do you think I am?" Eggman retorted.

The mayor was silent for a moment. "…If you come down here unarmed, we will negotiate the terms of your-"

"No!" interrupted Eggman. "There will be no negotiation. And _ you _ are the ones who are going to surrender. Remember who's wearing the pants here." There was another moment of silence. "No surrender, no city. Missile Wrist will see to that. Does that motivate you?"

The mayor took another moment before responding. "In that case, I refuse to negotiate with a blackmailing terrorist like you, Robotnik!"

Eggman wagged his finger in chastisement. "Tut tut! There may be children watching. Dare I say it, 'terrorist' is such a strong, violent word. All I desire is the surrender of your city to me so I can build the Eggman Empire. Really, that's all I ask!"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Robotnik. I have no right to yield the city to you, and even if I did, the act of yielding to the demands of a terrorist would leave a black mark on the nation, the city, and my own record."

Eggman frowned. "Please. It's got a theme park for the kids!"

"Are you sure you want to me add bribery to your list of crimes?"

Eggman crossed his arms. "Hmph. Then in that case, I'm sure your city won't mind your momentary departure!"

He reached for a button.

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:38 AM — Third-person POV**

The last words of Eggman's message rang in Knuckles' and Amy's ears. He was asking quite a strong first impression on this foreign world.

"Huh. Didn't know Eggman actually had enough resources to carry out an invasion," Knuckles mused, crossing his arms.

"It's too early to tell," replied Amy. "But you do have a point. If Eggman was Chaos Controlled here, how could he have built a new robot so fast?"

"Maybe he didn't," Knuckles speculated. "Wasn't E-23 one of the robots we found during our base run?"

"Yes…" Amy slowly realized. "Yes, it was… Wait, are you thinking that—"

"Yeah," Knuckles nodded as they continued running through the streets. "Call me crazy, but I've got this theory that Eggman's whole base was sent here as well."

Amy was intrigued. "Really?"

"Yeah. How else can you explain E-23 being here?"

Amy's eyes widened. "Wait, if Eggman's whole base is here… than this means there's nothing to stop him from unleashing wave after wave of Badniks into this city!"

"I know. But it's still unconfirmed at the moment. We'll have to look into it."

Just then they heard a sound that immediately brought relief to them — the sound of a plane.

"Is that the Tornado?" wondered Knuckles.

Just then the iconic biplane flew into open view among the skyscrapers. It was very high up, near the top of a nearby building, and appeared to be firing at an object on top of a roof.

"It is!" squealed Amy, bouncing up and down a little bit. "Tails made it! This can only mean Sonic's here too!"

Knuckles shook his head slightly. Amy still had eyes only for Sonic. Some things never changed after all these years…

Turning back to the building, the echidna figured the robot somehow made its way to the top of the building. He didn't even want to _ think _ about all the damage that was done inside. But he couldn't think about it. There wasn't time to.

"Amy, follow me," he curtly ordered as he broke into a run toward the skyscraper. Amy ran after him, and they reached the front doors of the skyscraper.

As they thought, there were police officers and security guards everywhere. Knuckles and Amy were able to run past the surprised personnel and enter the building. However, it didn't take long for the authorities to regain their composure.

"Hey! Stop them!" one of the guards shouted.

Once inside, one of the first things that saw was a gaping hole, which opened up to several more holes directly above them. They could eventually see the sky through them.

"Oh no…" Amy whispered, covering her mouth. It was significantly worse than she thought.

"See any stairs anywhere? Or an elevator?" Knuckles frantically asked, looking around.

"Uh… There!" Amy pointed to a nearby pair of elevators. There was a staircase there as well.

"Take the elevator! I'll cover you!" ordered Knuckles as he stood in front of Amy, ready to protect her from the officers.

"Right!"

Amy rushed over to the elevators. She had to reach up to press the button, since these elevators were not designed with Mobians in mind. Fortunately, the elevator was already on the first floor, and she darted in. Looking out, she saw Knuckles fighting off the guards.

"Close the doors! I'll meet you up top!" he shouted.

"Come on, come on, come on," she said to herself as she tried to locate the correct button. This world's elevators were not designed in the same way as elevators back home.

At last she pressed the button, and the doors closed in the nick of time, as some of the guards were getting too close for comfort.

Amy knew she couldn't stay inside the elevator forever. The structural integrity of this skyscraper could be at risk, especially since the robot presumably crashed through every floor to get to the roof. Besides, the guards could try to gain control of the elevator.

She quickly found the button for the roof and pressed it. Again, she had to really reach to get to it. She hoped she would be able to get home to Mobius soon, where there were normal-sized elevators for once.

As the elevator rose, Amy pulled her trusty Piko-Piko Hammer from out of Hammerspace and braced herself for the coming fight. She knew she would have to help — Knuckles, Tails, and hopefully Sonic would be there to take on Eggman and his robot.

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:39 AM — Chris' POV**

You should have seen the look on Dr. Eggman's face as we passed mere feet from the hovercraft he was piloting. That look of shock, as well as his cowering back in his seat — it was absolutely priceless.

"You? Here?!" I had to strain to hear the doctor's angry voice over the roar of the Tornado's engines. "I should have known you and your pathetic friends would…"

His last words were inaudible, but as I continued to watch him, he turned to the robot and shouted something. I figured it was an order to shoot us down. And I was right. Suddenly the robot's rounded hands launched themselves off the arms, and I cowered as I saw them speed right toward us. They missed, passing only a few yards from us, and I saw that the missile-shaped hands were tethered to the arms. Chancing a look up, I was surprised that the robot had nearly lost its balance on the roof from launching its hands.

"You okay back there, Chris?" Tails asked.

"Yeah," I breathed, waiting for my heart rate to slow down, "but those came way too close."

"I know," replied Tails as he banked left. "Hopefully it'll be on cooldown for a few seconds. Might as well use this opportunity to do a little damage of our own."

The young fox promptly turned the plane around to face the robot. Pressing a button, he fired a steady stream of lasers at its head, neck, and chest. This fascinated me immensely; I _ had _ to know how laser blasters work. Even more than that, I knew Grandpa would be all over this new tech. It could very well be revolutionary. Then we could actually have Star Wars in real life!

…or maybe not. I didn't want to see a Death Star knockoff orbiting my planet.

Anyway, I watched the lasers impacting the robot, but they did absolutely no damage whatsoever.

"I forgot Missile Wrist had Egg Fleet-grade armor!" Tails groaned in annoyance.

"Missile Wrist? That's its name?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna need some concentration for this fight, okay?"

"Okay."

Missile Wrist? I gotta say, that wasn't the most creative name out there. I was hoping for something more along the lines of Titan or Marauder. But I know not to judge a book — or a bot, in this case — by its cover. Already it had proven itself to be very dangerous, as we were nearly swatted out of the sky like a mosquito by its tethered hands. I hoped it didn't have any other capabilities.

Just then we heard Eggman's voice over the engine once more, and I assumed he was speaking into a voice amplifier of some sort.

"I'm sorry you thought E-23 was too easy for you," he said in a fake apologetic tone. "So I brought some friends to keep you both company. Buzz Bombers! Destroy that plane!"

Throwing a quick glance back, I saw the fat man in the hovercraft press a button on his wrist. It didn't take me long to find out what these "Buzz Bombers" were he had just summoned. Momentarily, the sound of about a hundred tiny drone-like engines could be heard, and I saw many, _ many _ purple bee-like robots fly out from behind a building. While they had small engines, they also had wings which added their voice to the chorus of noise around us. They also had what looked like laser blasters in their stingers — laser blasters which were pointed directly at us.

"Not these again!" exclaimed Tails as he gripped the controls harder and prepared to take evasive action.

"Wait, _ again _?" I was confused.

"Uh-huh." Tails gripped the controls harder. "They're the one reason I had to repair the Tornado yesterday!"

I recalled Tails saying something about the Tornado being damaged yesterday. Now he was dealing with the exact same threat, but this time, I was unfortunately along for the ride. I could only hope they didn't cause us to crash. That was the last thing we needed.

Before I knew it, the sound of their wings and engines became louder, and soon they weren't just behind us. They were above and below us, to our sides, even in front of us! Assuming those were laser blasters they had, I was surprised they hadn't used them by now.

"They're not shooting at us…" I pointed out.

"I noticed that just now," Tails responded. "I can't shake the feeling they're luring us into a—"

…trap. And yes, Tails was completely right. The Buzz Bombers were forcing us to bank right and head back toward Missile Wrist. The giant robot immediately shot one of its hands forward again. A snapping sound told me its hand had found its mark.

"Did it get us?" I asked, not seeing where Missile Wrist struck us.

"Yeah; we just lost the propeller!" Tails answered.

Things just went from bad to worse before I could register it. Without the propeller, we would go down in flames in seconds flat.

I was scared.

Already the plane started to plummet. I let out a cry as we began to drop.

"I can fix it! Just hang in there!" reassured Tails as he rapidly pressed a few buttons on the console in front of him.

* * *

**The Eckstein Center — Sun August 21; 10:40 AM — Third-person POV**

After ensuring Amy's safe departure in the elevator, Knuckles decided this was the time to make his own escape. He saw a few guards rush for the stairs. The elevator was perhaps too risky for them given the potential state of the building.

"Let her go," one of them ordered. "GUN'll be here in two minutes."

Knuckles almost froze. _ GUN _ ? Here?! This was impossible. How could GUN exist in two separate worlds, _ universes _ even? Or was he just hearing things? Either way, he knew he couldn't stick around to find out.

"Freeze!" one of the officers commanded Knuckles, pointing his pistol at him.

Knuckles wanted to retort, but there wasn't enough time to pick a fight with someone who had clearly not had any prior experience with Mobians before.

He looked up through the holes that led to the roof — and the robot. Taking a deep breath, he made his first leap through the hole and landed on the second floor. Fortunately there were no people to be seen, and the guards below were too astonished to do anything

As he leaped from floor to floor in his ascent to the roof, he saw only a few people here and there. They were either staring in disbelief, or assisting some of the wounded. There was destruction everywhere — broken-up pieces of floor and ceiling lay on what was left of the floor. He only hoped there wasn't asbestos in the walls; it could be deadly given decades.

But he wasn't thinking about asbestos right now. He was thinking about GUN, and why they were here as well as back home. Knuckles knew deep down this was not Mobius, and Amy had confirmed it earlier as well. Besides, the city's layout was different, and the overall climate was warmer. But there was one thing that still remained the same — the city was situated next to the ocean. And yet Knuckles knew this was not his Station Square. There was no evidence that Chaos was ever there.

There were too many mysteries here, and no time to think about them. Right now, his sole goal was to destroy this robot and save the city, with or without Sonic.

* * *

**The west coast — Sun August 21; 10:39 AM — Sonic's POV**

I gotta say, I kinda liked this new planet I had been sent to.

So far, I had traveled to places like San Francisco, Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City, Denver, and made that left turn at Albuquerque to head through Las Vegas. This country really reminded me of the United Federation back home. Apparently it was called the United States. Similar, yet different…

I must say, San Francisco looked mondo similar to the old Station Square back home. It even had a giant bridge like the once-prosperous city back in the United Federation. They never did recover after Perfect Chaos, sadly. Once the world got used to me, I would have to return to San Francisco and check it out in greater detail.

So yeah, I was just spending the day getting a feel for this new planet, exploring the west coast of the United States. Tomorrow I planned to check out the central states, and later on the east coast.

I spent about thirty seconds in Las Vegas. It actually reminded me of Eggmanland for the little time I spent there. Not my cup of tea, I might add. Actually, another part of it reminded me of Casino Night Zone, so I penciled in a return trip.

About now I figured it was time to head back to Station Square. Darting through Arizona and the desert of southern California, I decided to bypass Area 99 by a wide berth. That was hard to maneuver. Not only were there cameras covering every square inch of the place, but most likely the guys over there were going to hunt me down the next time they saw me. So… yeah.

I cut through San Diego and Los Angeles en route to Station Square. Hopefully Chris didn't miss me too much while I was gone.

From the very beginning, Chris had taken a special liking to me. The way he practically clung to me, it was almost as if he never had a friend before. It struck me that he was a lonely kid, so I knew that was the place for me to stay. Not only was the house awesome, but Chris was an awesome guy as well. He may have been lonely now… but I would make sure he would never be friendless again.

Promise.

I wasn't the only one to befriend him. He had Tails, Cream, and Cheese as well. And since his grandpa was an engineer and inventor, I knew he and Tails would become instant friends. Since Chris struck me as a gentle kind of kid, he and Cream would get along great. And his friends list wouldn't stop there. I believed he would soon make friends with Knuckles and Amy too. While I knew Amy would stay at the house with the rest of us, I wasn't so sure about Knuckles. He was a loner by nature.

As I entered Talbot, a small town in the Station Square metro, I noticed a large crowd gathering outside a Best Buy store. There weren't too many cars in the parking lot, so why the giant crowd? Judging by its size and the way people were talking, I knew it wasn't for a new product. I decided to stop by and see what was going on.

Jumping up into a nearby tree, I hid behind the branches so that no one would see me, and listened to the crowd. There were too many people to get close to the TVs they were watching, so I had to settle for eavesdropping. There were lots of people talking over each other, but I managed to catch some loose words such as "plane", "robot", "building", and "hovercraft".

It took me a Sonic second to piece together the situation. Tails was in the Tornado, fighting one of Eggman's robots near a certain building. I knew it. Eggman _ was _ here…

Even though I knew Tails could take care of himself, I figured I should head over there and give my high-flying best buddy some well-needed aid.

I jumped down from the tree and ran toward the heart of the city. It seemed Eggman was up to his old tricks again. I would not let him conquer Station Square. I would personally see to that.

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:41 AM — Chris' POV**

"Aaahhh!"

The Tornado continued to plummet at an alarming rate. As the ground drew nearer, I closed my eyes tightly, expecting a fiery crash. I was too young to die. But I knew I couldn't just doubt Tails. He did, after all, vow to take care of me while we were out. And if he said he could fix the plane, I knew I needed to trust him.

But there was no crash. In fact, the sensation changed. I heard the sound of a rocket engine, then we stopped falling. In fact, we were rising again, much to my surprise and relief. I summoned the courage to open my eyes again and see what could possibly prevent us from crashing.

I immediately saw that the plane looked different; it had literally changed shape. Instead of two wings, there were now four, folded out in an X-shape. A pair of jet engines were propelling the Tornado to a safe altitude. Now there was no need for a propeller.

"…Are you okay, Chris?" Tails asked in concern.

After I worked on keeping my lunch down, I responded. "…Barely…" I swallowed the nauseating feeling back down again. "What do you do to the plane?"

"It's just a transformation I built into it in case of emergencies," Tails stated. "This is one of my older planes, but it's a newer modification."

"Wait, you've got more _ planes _?" I was intrigued.

"Yeah, but they're all back home. Whoa!" He suddenly sent us into a dip to the right to avoid the Buzz Bombers that nearly got us again. "Can't talk now. Sorry!"

He pressed a button that caused a yellowish-green gas to be emitted from a canister in the back of the plane. I watched in awe as it shorted out most of the Buzz Bombers, causing them to drop like flies from the sky. Those that survived began to fire lasers at us. One of them came within inches of my shoulder, causing me to flinch.

As we dipped again in an attempt to dodge the increasingly thick lasers, I saw three large black vehicles pull up outside the Eckstein Center. I had never seen a GUN vehicle in person before, but now I was watching three GUN mobile headquarters right now.

"I see some GUN vehicles down there," I pointed out.

Tails turned to look at me, a mixture of seriousness and shock on his features. "Did you say GUN?!" he exclaimed.

"Uh-huh," I nodded, thoroughly surprised at the young fox's reaction. "Do you know about them?"

"I'll explain later," Tails said as he dodged more lasers, followed by another punch from Missile Wrist. "Can you tell me what they're up to?"

"Uh…" I strained to see what the GUN soldiers were doing. "They're getting out of their vehicles. Looks like they're about to head inside the building."

"Well then," Tails thought aloud as he turned the plane back around. "This could get interesting fast."

* * *

**The Eckstein Center - Roof — Sun August 21; 10:41 PM — Third-person POV**

At last, Knuckles finally reached the roof. He panted from the exertion of leaping through hole after hole, having counted at least eighty stories in this building. He hoped the structural integrity would last, at least until E-23 was destroyed. The damage Eggman's robot did to the skyscraper was quite severe.

Speaking of E-23, there it was, all three tons of it. Knuckles didn't care how much it weighed, though. All that mattered was that it was upon his shoulders to destroy it before it decimated any more of the city. Station Square was damaged enough as it was.

The Tornado was visible not too far away from the skyscraper, distracting Missile Wrist, which was awkwardly and vainly trying to punch it out of the sky. A swarm of Buzz Bombers were on its tail, shooting at the plane. Knuckles was glad he wasn't in _ that _ situation.

The echidna began to consider his options. He could easily tackle the legs of the robot and send it toppling to the streets below. It would do a lot of damage, but surely there were innocents down there, as well as authorities, not to mention the added fiery explosion would make a bad first impression for him on this world. There had to be another way. Perhaps he could discuss a strategy with Amy once she arrived.

Just then a chime announced that the elevator had arrived. Knuckles turned to see Amy emerge from the elevator. She was hefting her Piko-Piko Hammer in a battle-ready position. However, she looked a little dazed — she was not used to elevators that fast.

"Just in time," Knuckles stated. "We need a strategy."

"So far it hasn't noticed us," Amy said, "so I think we have a good shot at attacking it from behind."

"That's where I was going," Knuckles said before shaking his head slightly. "But we can't risk knocking it into the street. There are civilians down there, not to mention GUN."

Amy frowned. This _ was _ a difficult situation. Then she looked up, having a belated double take.

"GUN? Here?"

Knuckles nodded slightly. "Crazy, but true." It was almost like he himself wasn't dazed by their presence.

It took another moment of thinking before the echidna made his decision. "Okay. You distract it, and while it's focused on you, I'll deliver the finishing blow."

"Okay," Amy replied.

Preparing her hammer, she ran toward Missile Wrist. She hoisted her hammer over her head and slammed it down with punishing force on the left leg of the robot. The resulting vibration traveled through the hammer and into Amy's hands. She dropped her hammer and held her sore hands, attempting to massage them. The robot was unfazed.

"I'm coming!" Knuckles shouted as he ran toward Amy and Missile Wrist. Suddenly Missile Wrist turned around and fired its left hand at Knuckles, sending him sprawling into the wall next to the elevator. He could only look on in worry as it picked up Amy with its right hand, hoisting her into the air.

"Help me!" she cried.

Immediately Knuckles got up and ran back toward Missile Wrist, but Dr. Eggman swooped down in his Eggmobile, cutting him off.

"Outta my way," growled the echidna.

"I don't think so," the doctor grinned. "Your heart's bigger than your brain, Knuckles. May I commend you for awarding me with a hostage."

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare," he snarled, pushing past the Eggmobile to get to Missile Wrist. Eggman snapped his fingers, and Missile Wrist began to squeeze Amy.

"Aaaaahhhh!"

Knuckles reluctantly stood down, now completely out of options. He stared up at the doctor, his eyes portraying his anger.

"You see?" Eggman said, arms folded smugly across his chest. "Hostages remain hostages until my demands are me. Interfere with my plan and Amy Rose will pay very dearly for it!"

Knuckles was breathing heavily. He couldn't just stand there and do nothing, because if he did, Eggman would succeed in his plan, who knew what would become of Amy, and besides, GUN was probably running up the stairs right now. If he attempted to rescue Amy and destroy Missile Wrist, Amy could be killed.

"Let her go," he demanded.

"Why should I?" mocked Eggman. "Amy was clearly the instigator here. All Missile Wrist did was protect itself."

"Yeah? Well, who's the bad guy here? Not me!" retorted Knuckles.

"That's right!" Amy chimed in. "You may as well give up now, because I know Sonic is coming for you!"

Eggman gave an amused grin. "I'm sorry?"

Amy smiled determinedly. "We've deducted that if the three of us are here, then Sonic has to be here too!"

With its free hand, Missile Wrist threw another punch at the Tornado.

"So you say," Eggman said after a moment's silence. "But I'm afraid he didn't make it. After a study of his Power Rings, I found out that they negate the effect of Chaos Control on him. This means he never came!"

Knuckles knew Eggman was trying to trick him. Since his time as Resistance leader, he had learned how to properly deal with trickery. Even though Eggman had succeeded in tricking him a few times, Knuckles was able to tell when Eggman was not sincere.

"That's a lie!" he shouted. "The Power Ring's effect wore off long before Chaos Control was initiated. Besides, Power Rings have no effect on Chaos Control and you know it!"

"Fine, you got me," Eggman said. As an afterthought, he added, "Eventually I _ will _ find where you get these Power Rings."

"I doubt it," shot Amy.

Eggman shook his head. "Never mind the Power Rings! The point is, even if Sonic _ was _ here, I can still get away with establishing the Eggman Empire!"

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:43 AM — Chris' POV**

We were getting further away from Missile Wrist in our fight to destroy the Buzz Bombers that were still chasing us. Even though Tails was able to destroy most of them with a gas that emitted from the back of the plane, there were still about eight of them left — and they were not happy. The proof was in the lasers that whizzed around us, some nearly hitting us.

"Sorry about this, Chris!" shouted Tails from in front of me. "If I had known we were going into combat immediately, I wouldn't have brought you along!"

"That's okay!" I replied, even though I knew deep down it really wasn't. I watched as more gas spewed from the Tornado and shut down all remaining Buzz Bombers.

I had to know the magician's secret.

"What is that gas?" I asked.

"EMP gas," answered Tails. I was able to understand the rest of what it did.

"See any more Badniks?" he asked.

"Those are those robots we destroyed?" I questioned. I thought they were called Buzz Bombers.

"Yeah."

I took a careful look around. "No, I don't see any— Wait, here come more of them!"

Sure enough, about twenty more robots appeared from behind the Eckstein Building where Missile Wrist was. Only these didn't look like Buzz Bombers.

"They look different…" I pointed out.

"Those are Hoverbys!" Tails clarified. "And by the looks of it, they've been upgraded!"

These Hoverbys certainly looked different than the Buzz Bombers we had just destroyed. Not only did they have more prominent engines, but they also sported small buzzsaws. If I weren't scared by our situation, I'd say they reminded me of Star Wars' buzz droids.

Once they got close enough, the Hoverbys activated their saw blades. Their whirring sound could be heard even over the Tornado's twin engines. About three or four of them approached each wing of the plane.

"You got any more EMP gas?" I worriedly asked as the Hoverbys neared the wings.

Tails checked one of the gauges. "We're out!" he reported.

The Hoverbys' buzzsaws were getting louder, and a few of them even landed on the wings. I cringed as the saws made contact with the wings, sparks flying everywhere. This could spell the end for us if Sonic doesn't show up soon…

"We're not gonna last long here!" I shouted.

"I hate to admit it, but you might be right unless we get supersonic help soon."

If Sonic had this sixth sense thing as Tails had said, surely he would be here by now. Where could he be? Would he make it before the Hoverbys saw the wings off and send us plunging to our doom?

But wait.

I caught the briefest glint of blue below, comparable to the trail The Flash made Could it be…?

"There he is!" I shouted, awed that Sonic had finally returned. Which made me wonder, where _ was _ he this whole time? He did mention wanting to get a feel for the planet, but surely people would see him. I would have to have a talk with him later, but for now, he had come to save us!

Sonic must have spotted us first thing, for I saw him leap high into the air toward us. Then he did the most remarkable thing.

He literally curled into a ball in midair, spun at insanely high speeds, and bounced himself from robot to robot, destroying them on the spot. I watched as they began to plunge toward the ground, and small animals similar to this world's birds flew out of them. The city's cleanup service would be busy, I supposed.

Sonic drew nearer, destroying some of the more immediately dangerous Hoverbys.

"Chris?" Tails spoke.

"Yeah?"

"See that bag next to you?"

I looked down to see a large tan satchel next to my seat. "Yeah, I see it."

"I need you to reach in there, take out a Power Ring, and hold it out to Sonic," instructed Tails.

Looking inside the bag, I saw dozens of large glowing rings. I took one out and saw how it shone in the sunlight.

"What do these do?" I asked.

"Just lean over and hold it out to him; Sonic will know what to do."

I nodded and looked over to Sonic. He landed on the wing of the Tornado, kicking away the last of the Hoverbys. I held out the ring. While he was more than a little surprised to see me in the Tornado, he saw the ring and took hold of it. It was amazing how he started to glow as the ring dissolved into him. By the looks of things, his power was increased, and he was ready for a serious fight.

I considered myself lucky to have someone like him living with me.

* * *

**Station Square — Sun August 21; 10:45 AM — Sonic's POV**

Consuming the ring's essence, I felt its raw power course through my veins, giving me the added strength I needed to win the doing fight. Good thing Tails had plans to start duplicating the rings. That way, I would never have to worry about running out of them. We may not have had the Great Forest here on Earth, but even being sent to another world didn't mean we had to worry about running out.

I home-attacked the rest of the Hoverbys surrounding the Tornado, and couldn't help but notice they had been upgraded. Also… that was Chris in the back seat of the Tornado, wasn't it? Why was _ he _ there? This was the last place I wanted him to be.

In any case, this marked the first time Tails had a human as a passenger in any of his personal aircraft. I would have to talk to Chris about it later. Maybe Tails approved?

Anyway, now that all the Hoverbys were gone, Tails and Chris were momentarily in the clear, and I could focus my power on Eggman's new toy.

"So you made it, pincushion," muttered Eggman through his voice amplifier. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I never disappoint ya, do I, Egghead?" I shot back.

Eggman grinned. "No, you certainly do not. Missile Wrist! Ditch Amy and destroy that hedgehog!"

Missile Wrist, or so I thought the robot was called, casually tossed Amy into the air behind her while simultaneously firing six missiles in my direction. Now it got real. All I needed to do was run up the skyscraper and catch Amy. But with a group of missiles to deal with as well… Eh, who do I think I'm kidding? I dealt with situations like this before!

So I ran up the vertical exterior surface of the skyscraper, deviating to the left of the missiles that passed by me. Without even looking, I could tell they were arcing back up. They weren't my priority, Amy was; safety always comes first.

In two seconds flat, I reached the top of the building, and was met with a crazy sight. Eggman was in his Eggmobile, which was floating next to Missile Wrist. Knuckles was there as well, and he was panting after having made a flying catch to save Amy. Relief washed through me, not just because of Knuckles' save, but that both he and Amy made it to Earth. I knew they would show up. Now we were all here.

Before anyone could say anything, I saw the missiles fly up past me and into the air above us. They began to arc down toward us. So I leaped on top of Missile Wrist, using it as leverage to boost myself toward the speeding projectiles. I could hear the faint sound of energy being used behind me, but I couldn't look now; I had to deal with the missiles first.

I executed a homing attack toward the first missile, and easily destroyed it, escaping the ensuing explosion. After doing the same to the next three missiles, I kicked the fifth into the last before aiming myself back toward the roof of the skyscraper. Then I saw what had caused that energy burst.

Missile Wrist was generating a force field out of its chest, imprisoning Knuckles and Amy within. Missile Wrist was already next on my to-do list, but now I had to destroy it to free my friends.

"Sonic! Look out!" Amy called just after Missile Wrist fired both of its hands at me. It was obviously trying to punch me out of the sky. I figured I had no choice but to give it a slap on the wrist… literally.

I hopped on top of one of it rounded hands and prepared to ride it back to sender. But when its other hand decided to punch me as well, I hopped on to that hand instead. And so the process repeated, with me jumping from hand to hand, dodging punches, and getting closer and closer to Missile Wrist.

"Showoff!" accused Eggman. "You're lucky I didn't bring more Badniks with me."

Huh. I guess I was.

Now that the arms were fully retracted, I just stood there on its left arm and waited for its right arm to smash me in. Fortunately, it did what I wanted it to do, and I hopped off its arm and onto the roof as the other hand smashed where I was just standing. Hopefully this way I could… _ disarm _ it. But nope, both hands were intact. This made me wonder what they were made of.

Now that I was back on the roof, I quickly located the shield generator embedded in Missile Wrist's chest. A spin dash made short work of the generator, and I turned back to watch as the force field vanished around Knuckles and Amy.

"Payback time?" Amy asked Knuckles as she drew her Piko Piko Hammer. I flinched a little. Note to self: Never, _ never _ make her mad enough to pull that thing out. It hurts like crazy.

"Payback time," Knuckles replied, bumping his fists together. "You take the left hand, I'll take the right!"

"Got it!"

Both of them rushed toward Missile Wrist's hands, and I decided to step back and let them take care of this. Several hits from a pair of fists and a particular hammer later, Missile Wrist's hands were quickly reduced to scrap metal. And that was the super power of teamwork.

"Don't just stand there!" screamed Eggman. "Use your missiles! You still have those!"

Missile Wrist immediately fired six more missiles directly at me. Making sure I was in the clear, and they weren't going to hit anyone else, I vaulted myself clear over them and onto Missile Wrist's head. It took about six seconds for the missiles to head back toward me, and by extension, Missile Wrist. Now that everything was going according to plan, I hopped off of Missile Wrist and ran back toward my friends.

"Get back! It's gonna blow!" I warned.

Ironically, for being the fastest thing alive, my warning came almost too late. No sooner had I said it when the missiles made contact with Eggman's robot, creating a giant explosion. My ears started ringing from the blast, but fortunately no shrapnel flew in our direction E-23 was officially history.

"Give up, Eggy?" I said to our mustachioed pal in the Eggmobile. He growled in frustration, a sound that was music to my ears. As he started to fly away, he left behind a foreboding message.

"You may have won this time, rodents, but don't you for one moment think this is over. This world hasn't seen the last of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik!"

I for one know that Eggman does not make empty threats. If he says he's going to show up again, then I'm given the liberty to count my chickens before they hatch, because he will most certainly return.

I turned around just in time to see Amy running toward me. "Sonic, I knew you'd make it!" she squealed as she began hugging the living daylights out of me.

"Ngh… You're choking me a little…" I protested. "But it's good to see you're here too."

I turned to Knuckles. "Hey, Knux! Good to see your face here too!"

We fist bumped. Just like old times…

"Team Sonic just isn't the same without you," he said. "_ Then _ what would it be? Team Knuckles?"

"Dream on, Knux," I snickered, and Knuckles just rolled his eyes.

Now that all danger was over, I saw the Tornado start to head back toward us. A rope ladder was draped over the side.

"Climb on!" Tails shouted to us.

However, Knuckles took one look at the ladder before he made up his mind.

"Actually, I think I should stay," he said. "You know, make sure things are okay around, and get a start on searching for–"

"No time!" I shouted as the door behind him opened. Several armed men came into view and pointed their guns at us.

"Nobody move!" one of them shouted the moment Amy and I grabbed onto the passing rope ladder. I could hear Knuckles moan "Gah, I forgot about GUN!"

Wait, _ what?! _

As Knuckles shrugged and glided toward the rope ladder, I was flabbergasted at what had just transpired. GUN was here too?! Well, if Station Square was also here, then the two must have been connected somehow. This was a mystery I had no answer to. I didn't think _ anyone _ had any answers.

I was willing to bet this world not only had its own Commander Abraham Tower, but also its own South Island, New Mobotropolis, and even Chao colonies. But hey, that was all speculation.

Anyway, it felt really strange running from GUN. They were the good guys on my world, but here, they knew less than nothing about me. Give them a few weeks, and I would be on their list of most invaluable allies.

As there was no way I could communicate with Tails and Chris on account of the converted plane's loud engines, I could still fill in Amy and Knuckles on what was cooking around here.

"Thought you said you weren't coming, Knux," I stated.

"It's amazing how fast you make up your mind when GUN soldiers enter the scene," Knuckles said. "But I'm only coming for a quick bite to eat. I've been doing thirty-six hours on an empty stomach."

"Ouch," Sonic winced.

"So where have you been staying since you arrived, Sonic?" Amy asked.

"Oh, you're gonna love it," I responded. "It's a giant house on the outskirts of town. I actually discovered it by accident."

"How so?" inquired a curious Amy.

"I… well, it's got this pool. I'll leave it at that."

Amy looked shocked. "So you almost drowned?! How did you get out?"

"A preteen who lives in that house rescued me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. In fact, he's up in the Tornado right now!" That reminded me again, I'd have to talk to him and Tails about it. This was a dangerous day to be in the Tornado.

Knuckles raised an important point. "Seeing as this world's society knows nothing about us, are you sure it's safe for us to be around them for now?"

I shrugged. "For the most part, I wouldn't. Can't be too careful, you know? But the humans at the house I'm staying at – they're cool."

"Good to know."

As Tails steered us back home, I could imagine that we were going to have quite a conversation once we landed now that we were all finally back together again.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Outside – Sun August 21; 11:09 AM – Chris' POV.**

At last our giant driveway came into view. I had to admit, it looked quite different from above. In fact, having a birds-eye view of our entire property was quite spectacular.

But then I realized something. Our driveway may have been long, but not _ that _ long. How could it be possible for us to land a plane there? Grandpa and Dad had never tested full-sized aircraft on our driveway. Yet… if Tails landed here yesterday, then he would probably have no problem landing today.

As the engines grew quieter, the wheels of the Tornado touched down amazingly smoothly on the driveway, and we taxied toward the garage. We were actually doing it…

Still, I was nervous that we were going too fast. Amazingly, we slowed down and eventually stopped before we reached the garage door, much to my relief.

I carefully removed my football helmet, fearing what my helmet hair would look like in a mirror. I hoped no one would laugh at me like some people would do at school. My hair tended to be wavy on its own. I wasn't the kind of person to fuss about their hair, but I wished it was straighter.

Sonic and his other two friends I had yet to meet leaped off the rope ladder. One of them, a girl in a red dress, ran over to Cream, where they had an emotional reunion, while the other, a muscular figure, kinda stood there looking the place over.

After Tails pulled the ladder back into the plane, he began to maneuver the plane backward and forward, turning it around in the driveway so that it would be ready for its next takeoff.

Once we slowed to a complete stop, Tails converted the Tornado back into its original form, damaged propeller and all, before shutting off the motor. At last, silence filled my ears.

I looked down, wondering how I was supposed to disembark from the plane in my own. There were no steps or anything. Fortunately Tails noticed my predicament.

"Here, I'll help you down," he offered.

Standing up in his seat and facing me, the fox did something I thought wasn't logically possible at all. His twin tails started spinning at a high speed behind him, fast enough that they sounded like helicopter propellers. Then he actually _ lifted himself into the air _ using his tails as a propeller, and extended his hands to me.

"Grab on!" he invited.

As awe-stricken as I was, I complied and took hold of his hands. It felt strange to be lifted out of my seat and into the air by an alien I had only just met yesterday. He was surprisingly strong, now that I thought about it. The wind his namesakes generated whipped my hair around a little bit, but I didn't mind. He gently lowered me to the ground before landing in front of me.

_ If only Grandpa saw that… _

"Y-you can fly?" I forced the words out. "But... H-how...?"

Tails blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just something I can do, really."

"Did… Did you just…" Grandpa's voice came from the garage as he made his way over to us.

"Grandpa, he can fly," I repeated in awe. "Show him, Tails!"

Tails chuckled nervously before he spun his tails once more, lifting himself into the air. He moved to another part of the driveway, and I shielded my eyes from the wind he kicked up. He set himself down on the driveway again.

"…I don't know what to say…" Grandpa said after a stunned pause. "You all are full of surprises…"

"Grandpa and Cheese and I made sandwiches!" Cream called from the garage.

"Chao chao-chao!" Cheese added.

Oh boy! Sandwiches sounded great after the adventure I had. Even though flying with Tails was fun and all, I wasn't too crazy on going into combat. But in the end, victory worked up an appetite in us.

We headed into the garage to find that two folding tables and several chairs were set up. On each table was a few plates of cold cut sandwiches, as well as several small bags of chips. For drinks, we were given a choice of Sprite, grape juice, or water.

The girl Mobian approached us and extended her hand.

"My name's Amy Rose," she introduced, and I shook her hand first, then Grandpa. "Thanks for having us here!"

"Knuckles," the other Mobian quietly said. We too shook his hand, and I must say, for someone as muscular as he looked, his handshake was surprisingly more gentle than I thought.

"I'm Professor Chuck Thorndyke, and this is my grandson Chris," Grandpa introduced both of us. "Now why don't we all take a seat – we've got a lot to talk about."

With that, he walked over to the head of one of the tables and sat down, and Sonic sat next to him. I sat down across from Cream and next to Tails, while Amy headed over to speak with Sonic.

Knuckles and Amy… they seemed like an unlikely pair. I had only just met them, but I could tell they had probably not eaten since they arrived on Earth. I had questions on how their metabolism worked. They were still upbeat, at least, Amy was. Knuckles struck me as the kind of guy who preferred to stick to himself.

We reached for the sandwiches, and I had just taken my first bite when Knuckles passed by my seat and approached Tails, who looked up. He looked… concerned about something.

"I don't doubt your skills or anything, Tails," he said, "but… isn't it a bit reckless for you to be taking a human kid with you in the Tornado? Especially given these circumstances?"

Whoa. I didn't know I was going to be a reason for concern. I understood Chuck not wanting me to go into battle in the Tornado, but not being able to fly at all.

"It's fine, Knuckles," Tails said as he poured himself a glass of grape juice. "I kinda needed his help with looking for Sonic, and besides, he wanted to come."

"But you could have gotten him killed!" Knuckles fired back.

"I know that," Tails replied. "I ran out of time to bring him back here before Eggman made his announcement. If I had known I would be fighting his robot right then and there, I wouldn't have taken him along."

It was good to know he took responsibility of me well.

"I thought it was kinda fun, except for the battle," I said after swallowing.

Knuckles crossed his arms. "Hmph. Well, be careful next time," he grunted before walking back to the other table. He took his seat on the other side of Grandpa, across from Sonic.

Tails remained quiet after he spoke with Knuckles, wordlessly eating his sandwich and chips. I wondered if he regretted taking me out. Today, I was shot at by robots, nearly swatted out of the sky, and even took a nosedive to near death had Tails not acted quickly, all in less than ten minutes. Plus, I had never been inside an open-cockpit biplane before. All things considered, it was a pretty interesting experience. Good thing I didn't eat much before I flew – well, except for this couple of donuts.

That whole adventure I had went by so fast – we had only been out for less than an hour. Was this what adventuring with Sonic the Hedgehog was like?

Once she finished talking with Sonic, Amy walked over to our table and sat down at the end, between me and Cream. She turned to face me.

"Chris, I want to thank you for your bravery the other night," she said. "You should probably know that Sonic has hydrophobia, and can't swim at all."

"Oh, okay," I nodded. "That's why he couldn't get out on his own."

"Yeah, he just sinks like a rock whenever he's in the water."

"Literally?" I asked, and Amy nodded. I thought for a moment. "Maybe if everyone gets used to you guys, we could give Sonic swimming lessons."

Amy sighed. "Been there, done that. I tried like, three different times, And he won't stop being paranoid. Ugh, sometimes he gets me so worked up!"

"Miss Amy," Cream said gently, trying to calm her down. The hedgehog sighed.

"Sorry, Cream," she said quietly. "You know how I am with Sonic."

"So that means you're…" I couldn't think of how to finish the sentence.

"A couple?" Amy suggested, and I shrugged. "I wish. It's not that he doesn't love me, it's just… I think he just wants to be free to run unhindered by things like love. Recently I've been learning to respect that."

I didn't want to prove into their love life, so I remained quiet after that and returned to my food.

We talked for another fifteen minutes, and I got to know my friends a little better, mostly about stuff I did. …Okay, so maybe _ they _ got to know _ me _ a little better. I was a little bit of an introvert, but I think I was handling myself around new people well.

Knuckles, who was silent and decidedly thoughtful for the entire meal, scooted his chair back and stood up.

"I don't care who was responsible for causing Chaos Control," he declared. "I'm going to make sure we gather all seven Chaos Emeralds, keep them away from Eggman, get us home, and get me back to the Master Emerald as quickly as possible."

"Heh. You always loved your treasure hunts," Sonic teased.

"This time, I'm afraid it's not _ just _ a treasure hunt. This is a hunt that will impact our future as we know it. Whether we get to go back to Mobius or not. And frankly, I'd rather Rouge not touch the Master Emerald while I'm away."

"Don't worry about it," Sonic reassured. "So far, there's no sign that Rouge is here, but if you're lucky enough, maybe she _ is _ here on this world so that she can be away from the Master Emerald. And if she's here, I'm sure she's out looking for a certain red echidna–"

"Stop it!" Knuckles roared, blushing a little. This heralded giggles from Tails and Amy. I didn't see what was so funny, though. Was there a joke I missed?

"In all seriousness, Knuckles, we'll help you find the Emeralds. We're a team; we're all in this together, am I right?"

"Absolutely," he said, and he and Sonic fist bumped. "It would be greatly appreciated. The sooner we get them all, the sooner we can go home."

Knuckles, having finished his sandwiches, turned toward the open garage door. "Welp, I'm going to get a head start on the Emeralds. Thanks for lunch, Chuck. Take care."

We watched as Knuckles walked down the driveway. Was he not going to stay with us? What if everyone saw him? They would capture him like they did Cream!

"He's leaving?!" I asked.

Sonic, who had overheard, got up and walked over to our table.

"He's a loner by nature," he explained. "He kinda tends to do things his own way."

Amy stood up, having finished her third sandwich. She must have been quite hungry, and I wondered if she even ate anything since arriving. I couldn't possibly go a day and a half without eating or drinking anything.

Cream looked at her sadly. "Are you going to stay, Miss Amy?"

The pink hedgehog immediately smiled. "Of course I will, Cream!"

She leaned toward Cream and hugged her, and I had to smile. I barely knew them so far, but they were like sisters to each other. I wished I had sisters.

Sonic, Tails, Cream, Knuckles, Amy. These must have been all the Mobians that landed here on Earth. I wanted to make sure that there weren't any others out there.

"Sonic?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Is there anyone else who came to Earth with you?" I asked.

It didn't take Sonic two seconds to ponder my question. "Well, unless you count Eggman, then no, I can't say that I do. I do have other friends back home, though."

"Mr. Chuck?" Cream called from her half-eaten sandwich. "I can't finish…"

"Chao..." Cheese echoed. Apparently the Chao could get full quickly too. Yet he was a voracious eater earlier when we were having donuts.

"That's okay, Cream. I'll put it away for you for later," Grandpa replied as he got up with the sandwich and walked out of the garage. "Don't go anywhere!" he called behind him.

"So we're all together again," Sonic stated absent-mindedly once Grandpa was gone, and the others smiled. "Hopefully never to be separated by the bounds of time and space again."

As I took the last bite of my sandwich, finishing just behind Tails, my thoughts began whirling faster. My new Mobian friends had terms that didn't make sense!

Chaos Emeralds?

Eggman's machine?

Chaos Control?

Master Emerald?

Rouge?

"I have a few questions," I asked after a few moments, breaking the thoughtful silence. Everyone else turned to me.

"Go ahead," invited Sonic.

"You guys were talking about… I don't know, it sounds really strange… Like, what's Chaos Control? Is it a weapon or something?"

"Not exactly," Sonic explained, slightly bemused, which added to my confusion. "The way I see it, it's more like a–"

"Sorry to interrupt," the returning Grandpa broke in, "but Ella is cooking lunch for you right now, Chris. She'll be done in a few minutes."

This was bad.

"But I just ate…"

"I know. Try to eat as much as you can anyway. If you can't finish, it's fine. I'll just tell her that you had a big breakfast. You did, after all, have a few donuts this morning." I nodded.

I was grateful for Grandpa; he really knew how to cover for me. Even when the paparazzis and news crews were talking about us all across the country, Grandpa was there to cover for me. He even asked Tanaka to tell the Sun and other news magazines to stop writing articles about us. All we wanted was a nice, peaceful, normal life… Well, as normal as we could be for one of the richest families in the world. And with the addition of several alien superheroes, normal would be just a memory.

"Is Ella getting suspicious that there's bread missing from the kitchen, Chuck?" Tails asked.

"No. At least, not yet," Grandpa answered. "Good thing you're having soup and fruit instead of sandwiches for lunch, Chris. She won't be near the bread." An idea formed in his head.

"Actually, I need to run out and buy some more bread to replace the loaf we went through for lunch today; otherwise, Ella's going to be suspicious."

Ella was not one of those people you wanted to get on their bad side. She saw through Grandpa's white lies before, and she even convinced more than a few news crews to stop taking too many photos of us.

"That's a good idea," I said.

"Why don't you head in for lunch now? It's going to be ready any minute," Grandpa suggested as he walked out to his car, which he parked on the grass next to the driveway to make room for the Tornado.

"Sorry, I wished I could have told Ella in hindsight that I was making sandwiches while working on our 'secret project," he apologized from outside.

"Secret project…?" Tails questioned, confused.

"There's not really a secret project," I answered. "It's just something Grandpa came up with to prevent Ella and Mr. Tanaka from seeing you all… So what were you going to tell me, Sonic?"

Sonic thought for a moment, then frowned. "Sorry, must have completely slipped my mind…"

"You were going to answer his question about Chaos Control," Tails gently reminded.

"Oh yeah, right, thanks Tails." Then a second thought crossed him. "Mind if I tell you another time? You've got lunch, and we kinda need to rest up a bit – it's been a rough past two days for us."

"Oh… okay…" I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't learn their fancy terms. If Chaos Control was a weapon, then it sounded like a powerful one for sure.

"Tell you what," Sonic smirked, placing a hand on my shoulder. "First thing tomorrow, come see us, and we'll tell you and your grandpa about how we all came here. Sound good?"

I considered this. I didn't see why they couldn't tell us about it sooner, but they were tired, and frankly, beggars can't be choosers.

"Okay…"

I turned to head outside. "See you later!"

Everyone waved and said goodbye as I exited out the side door, noting that Grandpa's note from yesterday was still there. Good. Hopefully it would hold out for a little while longer.

I broke into a sprint toward the house, feeling an air of excitement rush through me. I had not one, not two, but _ four _ friends living here with me! (Actually five, if you count Cheese.) And all of them were unlike any of the other kids at school. These were genuine friends, and I hadn't even known them for two whole days.

The more I thought about them, the happier I became. No way would I sleep tonight. I would be wide awake with excitement. I couldn't wait for tomorrow, so that I could hear their story of how they got here. That story would be better than any history lesson I was ever taught, and I hadn't even heard it yet.

Normal had officially become boring for me. I embraced the new normal with everything I had. Even if Dr. Eggman was out there, I knew my friends could stop him. They certainly proved themselves today. And Sonic was mind-blowing in the way he fought the robot. He actually used his own body as a weapon. That was really cool.

Eggman wasn't one of my current problems. My only predicament was how I was going to hide my uncontrollable wide smile from Ella and Tanaka.

* * *

**Eggman's base – Sun August 21; 11:09 AM – Third-person POV**

Eggman rode the metro elevator directly from the hidden runway back to his command center, pondering the day's invasion and conflict with Sonic the Hedgehog. He was not overly surprised that he and his friends showed up that day to thwart his plan to take over Station Square. He also wasn't surprised at the mayor's resilience. After all, not too many people, Mobians and humans alike, agreed with blackmail and guilt tactics. He promised himself that he would return tomorrow with a stronger robot, and teach that hedgehog a lesson, as well as make the city pay for their senseless resistance to such a simple demand.

As soon as the doors opened, he was greeted by the sight of both his hench-bots, Decoe and Bocoe, who were seated at the console. They rose at the sight of their master.

"Welcome back, Doctor," Decoe greeted.

"Ah, I see you've repaired Bocoe," noted Eggman. "Can't have my strategy specialist without a weapons specialist. Anything else noteworthy that went on here? Namely, _ Bokkun _?"

Decoe and Bocoe looked taken aback a little.

"I can see the guilt in your eyes, and you're not even organic," Eggman remarked. "Bokkun got in my candy supply. Why didn't you stop him?!"

"It isn't _ my _ fault I was preoccupied with Bocoe's repairs!" Decoe shot back.

Eggman wisely held back his temper. It may have been a small matter, but Eggman valued his candy supply which he had in his little spare time. "How much did he eat?" he sighed.

"My post-analysis reveals Bokkun ate 23% of your candy supply before the security robots finally arrived to tranquilize him," Bocoe answered.

"We apologize, Doctor," Decoe responded. "However, there is good news."

"Well? Tell me!" begged the doctor.

"The Chaos energy scanner is once again operational. An initial scan reveals large quantities of energy in the northern part of Station Square."

Eggman's eyebrows raised. He immediately realized what this meant. This was the best news he heard all day.

"A Chaos Emerald…" he deducted.

"Affirmative."

"What measures do you wish to take, Doctor?" Bocoe asked.

Eggman thought for a moment. "As much as I want to get my hands on that Emerald, I'm not going back into the city today. Instead, I have… other means. Decoe, summon two Egg Pawns to the command center. It doesn't matter which two."

"Yes, Doctor."

As the tall yellow robot left the room, Eggman looked around the command center. It was absolutely spotless. Not a trace of the Chaos Roboticizer existed in the room. It was as if that unfortunate incident never happened.

While he waited, Eggman walked over to his drawer of robot cards and opened it. He removed the rubber band from the deck and began to search for a particular card. Bocoe took note of this.

"I thought you stated you were not returning the the city, Doctor."

"I'm not," Eggman replied. "I'm just separating the Missile Wrist card so it's not accidentally chosen again tomorrow. Remind me to produce more of them. Ah, here it is."

He pulled the single card from the deck and placed it alone in the drawer before binding the cards back together. Placing the deck back in the drawer, he closed it. Just then Decoe returned with two Egg Pawns.

"Here you are, Doctor," Decoe presented.

Eggman crossed the room and opened another drawer. "Bocoe, download the coordinates of the Chaos Emerald into these Egg Pawns," he instructed as he pulled out two wristband-like devices.

"You two are going to head to the coordinates that will be downloaded onto your memory banks in a moment. These are the coordinates of a Chaos Emerald." He began to snap the devices onto the right wrists of the Egg Pawns. "These perception filters will protect you as you head out into the city. Any unsuspecting human won't look twice at you; they'll think you're just another one of them. But we will know who you are. Take separate paths to the coordinates, and also take shifts, so as not to arouse suspicion. Once you arrive, you two will stay in the area and guard the Emerald until I arrive to pick it up tomorrow. Understood?"

_ "Yes, Dr. Eggman!" _ The two Egg Pawns droned in unison.

"Download complete," reported Bocoe, turning away from the monitor.

"That's your cue," Eggman announced to the Egg Pawns

"But Doctor," interjected Decoe, "how will they get to the mainland?"

"One of my Egg Submarines will indiscreetly beam them onto the shore," he answered. To the Egg Pawns, he said, "Be on your way now."

The two robots saluted and left. Eggman sat down in his command chair and pulled up a live image of Station Square. He leaned back in contentment. The Emerald was practically in his grasp. The only downside was that anyone could find it before then… but he highly doubted it.

All told, today was not a total loss for Eggman. Instead, it was more like testing the waters of a whole new world. Come tomorrow, he would be ready to jump in the deep end. Victory would be his. He was sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's "Missile Wrist Rampage"! I loved writing the Eggman scenes. I'm also amazed at the way Amy came out, even if she is one of the harder characters to write for. I don't know if Knuckles is a little OOC, though…
> 
> I'll add discussion points concerning differences between the chapter and the episode soon.
> 
> Let me know how I'm doing with everyone's characters - even Decoe, Bocoe and Bokkun; they were used a lot during this chapter. Reviews and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Next up is Chaos Emerald Cha- no, no, no, I'm so changing that name. That title's too cringey. Anyway, next up, the gang discovers the first Chaos Emerald, but you-know-who also has his eyes on it. Don't miss it!


	4. The First Emerald

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of seven Chaos Emeralds shows up in the middle of town, and Sonic clashes with Eggman over who will retrieve the precious artifact first.

**Air Force One – Mon August 22; 5:49 AM – Third-person POV**

Red-eye flights were not his cup of tea.

Having visited Florida to tour the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Elaine, President Michael Klaus Remerson was flying aboard Air Force One back to Washington. He stifled a yawn as he pondered what he had been briefed on during his stay in Florida.

To start with, he wished he could believe what he had been told. The President believed in the possibility that somewhere, somehow, alien life existed, but he never once thought they would be anything like the ones that showed up in the city of Station Square. While the thousands of reports that flooded in estimated three or four aliens, all of them were consistent with the fact that they resembled anthropomorphic animals of some sort. More than that, they seemed to be, at a glance, very intelligent.

Another astonishing side to the story was the aliens' human-like adversary. They appeared to be locked in combat with one Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who bore the oddly intriguing nickname Dr. Eggman. From the start, it was evident that he was a terrorist. He had threatened and even attempted to blackmail Mayor Pinsky into surrendering his city so that he could build his so-called "Eggman Empire". He would have to look into this empire, as well as come up with a way to stop Dr. Robotnik at all costs.

While America was involved in a war on terrorism overseas, Dr. Robotnik seemed to be an entirely different kind altogether. He had utilized a giant war machine that caused mass destruction in a localized part of the city. At a glance, the technology that was used in Robotnik's robot was as yet unknown to man, not unlike the aliens; in fact, it far exceeded human technology.

According to Robotnik's foreboding message yesterday, he was a human, or so he looked like one. This made President Remerson wonder if humans naturally behaved the way Robotnik did. Perish the thought. The possibility that humans and aliens could co-exist on the same planet was mind-boggling, but not impossible – assuming Robotnik wasn't the only human, that is.

Remerson had replayed the doctor's message about three times already, listening carefully to his demands. A recurrence in said message was the name of an individual: Sonic the Hedgehog. If the President had to guess, this Sonic was one of the aliens that stood out in particular, but the lack of confirmation left him to continue speculating.

According to the numerous eyewitness reports, the alien appeared to be a cobalt blue in color, with well-defined quills, red sneakers, and white gloves like the ones all those Disney characters wore. These defining features made it stand out, being easily identifiable on camera were it not for its unreal running speed.

Sonic had single-handedly destroyed the robot that Dr. Robotnik had deployed. Its method was unique: it curled itself into a tight ball and used its entire spinning body as a weapon. But instead of impacting the robot directly, it used the robot's own missiles against it. Robotnik had fled the scene afterward. According to sources in Station Square, cleanup was still ongoing, and it could be up to a year before the Eckstein Building fully reopened.

This whole situation seemed too cartoonish to be real. And yet it was very real. It somewhat reminded President Remerson of the superhero comic books he used to read as a kid. They always had the bad guys causing espionage, sometimes with machines, and the good guys always coming in to save the day. Now, at sixty-eight years of age, it appeared that these superheroes were not completely fiction as he once thought they were.

The more he thought he was getting somewhere with his answers, the more questions arose, and the questions would keep coming.

The sound of someone clearing his throat brought him back to reality. He was sharing his cabin aboard Air Force One with Chief of Staff Jerome Wise. The holdover from the previous President, a Democrat, Wise had done some questionable things in the past, but supported President Remerson nonetheless.

"You're still thinking about the briefing?" he asked in his slight southern accent. The President silently nodded.

Jerome adjusted himself in his seat. "I know, it's impossible to imagine that alien life really exists, and is walking amongst us right now."

"Yes," the President said. "As of now, they have not shown any aggression toward our people, barring Robotnik."

"Let's face it; they're here, they have weapons unknown to our society, they've proved that they are dangerous. Something needs to be done about them," Jerome said.

"I don't blame you for being paranoid. We all are," the President responded, folding his hands in his lap. "We'll work something out."

"On a related note," Jerome continued, "We've received a number of calls and emails concerning the aliens. Of course, many are from concerned American citizens, as well as our senators and representatives, but two in particular stand out." He pulled his cell phone from his suit pocket and opened his email.

"These two that stand out…" The President looked up. "Did they have an encounter with the alien Dr. Robotnik referred to as 'Sonic'?"

"Well… one of them did." He opened a folder marked Important, bringing up the two emails in question.

"The first one is from Station Square's Mayor Aaron Pinsky. He theorized that Robotnik, despite his human appearances, is also an alien, and is most likely from the same planet the other aliens are from. We have already confirmed his claim that Robotnik's technology far exceeds our own. He also goes on to say that the debris from Robotnik's robot has been cleared from the streets and is being prepared for analysis at Area 99."

The President nodded. "I want to know the moment the analysis is complete. This may give us the breakthrough we need. What's the other email?"

"The second email is from Professor Ray Browning, head of Area 99's Research and Development. He witnessed one of the aliens, which he claims to resemble a blue hedgehog, stealing an alien test subject and destroying at least a quarter of Area 99's surveillance devices, not to mention sabotage the electricity. Area 99 estimates damages to amount to over four million dollars."

The President sat back and closed his tired, aching eyes. "Mhm. And when was this?"

"Two days ago, Mr. President," came the response. "Browning further reports that Sonic had help. He and the test subject made off in a small aircraft piloted by another alien."

"The same aircraft that was seen in Station Square yesterday?" the President asked. Jerome nodded.

Saturday was reportedly the alien's first full day on Earth. While he may have single-handedly (and temporarily) defeated Dr. Robotnik, breaking into Area 99, however, was practically unpardonable. As much as he hated to admit it, Jerome was right. The alien could be dangerous. Something had to be done. This was not something that could be ignored.

Just then Jerome's phone rang. The Chief of Staff pressed the button to answer it. Fortunately it was already on loudspeaker, so the President could hear too.

"Hello?"

_ "Mr. Wise. Is the President there?" _ the man on the other end spoke. It was Rod Stafford, the Secretary of Homeland Security.

"Yes, Mr. Secretary."

_ "Good," _ Stafford said. _ "I have a new development concerning Station Square's aliens." _

Immediately interested, President Remerson sat up. "Go ahead."

Stafford cleared his throat. _ "As you may already know, the alien is codenamed 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. We received more proof of this via the Station Square Police Department. But the real news comes from the CIA. CIA operatives in Station Square have confirmed the location of Sonic's current residence." _

Remerson's interest was piqued. "Where?"

_ "He and those closely affiliated with him are staying at the home of Nelson and Lindsey Thorndyke." _

"Really?" The President was surprised. This was quite a development. "What measures do you propose to take?"

_ "None yet," _ came the response, _ "but I spoke with the CIA Director last night. We've agreed to secretly warn the Thorndyke family of the potential dangers these aliens may pose." _

"Wait on that for the time being," the President decided. "We need to weigh in all the options first, and besides, there have been no reports of the aliens – those affiliated with this Sonic, I mean – attacking our people. Furthermore, I don't believe it to be wise to bring more attention to the Thorndykes than necessary. In fact, to honor their request for privacy, I'm considering that the media not report on the aliens staying there."

"Good idea," Wise said. "And what of Robotnik, Mr. Secretary?"

_ "The military got him on radar. We traced him to a mysterious headquarters on Santa Rosa Island, some one hundred miles off the coast of Station Square. It's in the Channel Islands National Park." _

"And we've not seen anything of this headquarters until now?" the President asked.

_ "We can confirm it wasn't there last week," _ Stafford replied.

"Interesting," muttered the President. "What actions have you taken concerning Robotnik?"

_ "We dispatched a navy reconnaissance team last night to the island to keep tabs on him. They should arrive at the island by late morning." _

There was a pregnant pause.

"Dr. Robotnik must be stopped as soon as possible. Already he has proven to be a clear and present threat to the American people."

"He will be stopped, Mr. President…" Wise reassured. "You can count on it."

"For the time being," the President folded his hands, "we need to learn all we can on this Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends. Perhaps we can do it through the Thorndykes."

"But I thought you said–"

"Discreetly."

_ "I've done my own research on the family," _ Stafford said. _ "Nelson and Lindsey Thorndyke are currently not at home, and we don't know when they will return. However, they have a twelve-year-old son, Christopher by name. We can learn about Sonic through him." _

"This will be difficult without arousing the suspicions of him or his family," the President mused. Then, as if out of the blue, he asked "What school does he go to?"

_ "Oakview Elementary, Mr. President. I have already appointed an agent to the school to fill in for his current teacher, Wendy Westerly, who, coincidentally, is on leave to compete in the National Spelling Bee. He had made arrangements with the superintendent to teach young Mr. Thorndyke's class, while secretly and casually obtaining information on Sonic and his species." _

The President nodded. "I approve. Have this agent report back to the CIA each day after school with new developments."

_ "Yes, Mr. President." _

"Contact me with any new developments as you receive them."

_ "Yes, sir." _

With that, they hung up. Jerome turned to the President, a questioning look on his face. "Shouldn't we be more concerned about Dr. Robotnik?" he asked.

"It appears to be an internal affair," the President explained, "but at the same time, he has caused damage to American territory. At the moment, we are monitoring the situation. Should the need for intervention arise, we will act swiftly."

"And yet we can't ignore Robotnik's warning message," Jerome countered.

"You're right," President Remerson nodded.

As Air Force One continued its flight back to Washington, the President knew that Robotnik had to be dealt with first, then Sonic, or so he was nicknamed. Robotnik was far more dangerous, and his full capabilities were still unknown.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion – Mon August 22; 7:28 AM – Chris' POV**

Shoveled the last few bites of pancakes into my mouth, I pushed my chair back and stood up.

"Bye, Ella! Thanks for breakfast!" I called.

"You seem to be in a hurry this morning," Ella noted as she came over to clear up.

I glanced up at the clock on the wall. 7:28. So I did rush a little getting ready for school…

"…I wanted to make sure I had enough time to say goodbye to So– _ Grandpa _ ," I quickly corrected myself. _ And hear about how Sonic and friends got here _, I mentally added. I couldn't believe I had slipped up just then. Fortunately, Ella showed no signs of suspicion.

"That reminds me, I'm curious as to why he wants me and Mr. Tanaka out of the garage. Mr. Tanaka tells me it has something to do with a secret project, is that right?"

I didn't answer right away, because I didn't know what to say at first. "Yeah. Grandpa said it should be done in a couple weeks."

Whew. I just dodged a bullet.

"All right, Chris." We exchanged a hug. "Enjoy your first day in sixth grade!" she called after me as I left the room.

"I will," I promised. "Bye, Ella!"

Checking to make sure I had my Avengers backpack with me, I made my way toward the foyer, and took off out the front door. Instead of mounting my bike right away, I made a beeline for the garage, wondering just how everyone arrived on Earth.

I couldn't wait to have something illogical explained to me. Whatever their story was, if I repeated it to anyone on an average day, they would think I was crazy. But this was very real.

I remembered yesterday hearing them talking about… stuff. Stuff that went clear over my head. One word they repeated a lot was "chaos". _ All would be revealed _ , I told myself. _ That is, _ if _ I could make heads or tails (no pun intended) of any of it. _

I entered the garage through the side door, glad that Ella and Tanaka had heeded the note and steered clear of the garage. The first thing I heard was the sound of quiet voices upstairs. So they were awake…

I ascended the stairs and slowly pushed the trap door open. Upon entering Grandpa's lab, I saw that he was seated at his desk, his computer displaying the 3D pipes screensaver. Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese were seated on various beanbags. Three inflatable mattresses were deflated and neatly folded in the corner.

"And here he is," Grandpa affectionately announced. The other-worlders smiled as I entered the lab and closed the trap door.

"You can sit on the bed if you want," invited Grandpa. "We were just talking about what Mobius was like. It's a beautiful planet, with lush forests, green hills, and the occasional city. Sounds kind of like Earth, only more…" he fumbled for the right word.

"Pure?" Amy suggested.

"Yes…" Grandpa said. "The thing I find interesting about it is how simple Mobius' way of living is. Compared to us, our society's needlessly complex." I caught a slight nod from Tails as Grandpa said this.

"Where's Sonic?" I asked. "I thought he's going to tell us about how you all came here."

"He is," answered Tails. "He told me that he wants to have an early morning run every day for as long as he's here. He should be back any moment."

"What's the backpack for, Chris?" Amy asked, before answering her own question. "Oh, you're going to school today, aren't you?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Today's the first day of sixth grade, and I need to be there in twenty minutes."

"Oh, okay," Amy said. "Hopefully Sonic doesn't keep us waiting for long."

Even though I knew that they could just as easily tell us the story themselves, I would be missing out on Sonic's point of view, and I kind of wanted to hear the whole story.

True to his word, Sonic burst through the trap door a moment later.

"Aaaand I'm back!" he announced. "Morning, Chris! Sleep well?"

"I did," I responded. …Okay, maybe that was a little white lie. I couldn't sleep much knowing it would be story time soon. I had to get to sleep a little sooner each night. Once the initial hype died down, I would be able to sleep normally again.

"So… Time to tell you how we ended up here," Sonic started. "Everyone here?" He quietly counted heads before leaping over to the windowsill and reclining on it. He cleared his throat.

"On the night we got here, we had a huge battle with Eggman. It started out kinda ordinary, actually."

"Hold on," Grandpa interjected. "Ordinary? You mean you fight Eggman on a regular basis?"

Sonic shrugged. "Been doing it all my life, yeah."

This only added to Grandpa's surprise. "But… How do you cope with the stress? I mean, it's war as far as I'm concerned. Do you ever live in peace?"

"Oh, sure," Sonic answered. "Many of our encounters with Eggman are just skirmishers. Kind of like yesterday. Sometimes we go for a whole month without ever seeing him, give or take." He dug in his ear with his pinky. "As for stress, we just kinda deal with it. In my case specifically, I just like to break Eggy's toys.

"Anyway, that one night. Eggman had six out of seven of these powerful artifacts called Chaos Emeralds. He took them from us right around the time I found the last one. He eventually found out about the last Emerald, and kidnapped Cream as ransom. So Tails, Amy and I staged a rescue mission. We knew we had to stop Eggman before he used the Chaos Emeralds' power to make a machine turn everyone within 100 miles into robots."

Grandpa and I gasped simultaneously. How could this be? I thought destroying a city with an army of killer robots was bad enough, but from how Sonic described him – _ casually _ , I might add – Dr. Eggman was a real threat. If he could turn _ everyone _ within 100 miles into robots… then the consequences would be catastrophic. And to think he could easily be beaten by Sonic before breakfast daily.

" …I never knew he was capable of such a thing," Grandpa said grimly.

"Oh, it gets worse," Sonic said in a more serious tone, as if he was holding back. He counted on his fingers. "Egg Grapes, World Roboticizer, Doomsday Project – even split Mobius apart once."

I was incredulous. "He split your planet apart?!"

"All thanks to a powerful entity called Dark Gaia," Sonic said. "But we stopped them."

"It's not going to happen again, Chris," reassured Tails. "The world was put back together again, and Eggman doesn't have the resources to do it while he's here."

"The more you mention Eggman, the more it scares me," Chris admitted. And here I foolishly underestimated him to a degree.

"That's why we're here," Sonic grinned. "We've scrambled Eggman hundreds of times before. Yesterday was no different.

"Back to the story, we broke into the base and freed Cream and Cheese. Knuckles showed up and helped us destroy a security robot. The next part, I'm not really sure what happened. Knuckles claims that shrapnel hit the machine which caused it to malfunction. Sure, it was hit by the robot's shrapnel, but I think it might have been something different. But what mattered was that all seven Chaos Emeralds were still powering the Chaos Roboticizer, as Eggman called it. Something happened, and Chaos Control sent us all here."

"What's Chaos Control?" I asked.

"Chaos Control…" Sonic closed his eyes, trying to think of how to explain it. "Basically teleports you. Tails can do a better job explaining it.

"It's an immense burst of power that the Chaos Emeralds can give off, which can transport its user through time and space," Tails explained. "Usually one Chaos Emerald is needed for Chaos Control. However, it's never happened on a scale like that before. Normally it only transports people who are touching the Emerald at the time. That's a mystery we still need to solve."

"Fascinating," Grandpa said as he took in all that Sonic had said. "What else can these Chaos Emeralds do? Actually, _ what _ are they?"

Tails looked thoughtful. "They have a complicated history, but we've gotta make it short since Chris has school soon. Basically, they're powerful gemstones that can physically empower certain users."

Empower certain users… if people could use them to teleport, then maybe I could…

Amy saw the look in my eyes. Busted.

"I know what you're thinking, Chris, and no, humans can't use the Chaos Emeralds like that. I mean, I think you could use them to teleport, but you can't gain power from them."

Okay, that made a lot of sense. So I guess other-worldly gems were only made for other-worldly people. I could live with that.

"What else are they capable of?" Chuck asked.

"I use them to power machines sometimes," Tails said. "Also, if there's an emergency, Sonic can use the power of all seven Emeralds to transform into a superpowered state in which he's known as Super Sonic. That's what we call 'going super'."

"So far, there hasn't been a single enemy I couldn't beat when super," Sonic bragged. I just hoped this was true, and not just him tooting his own horn.

"Here, I'll pull up an image of them, so you'll know what they look like if you see one," Tails said as he got up and grabbed the Miles Electric from off of Chuck's desk. A few taps and swipes later, he turned the device to face us.

I studied the Emeralds carefully – even though it looked like there wasn't much to study. There were seven of them, each in its own color - red, green, blue, cyan, purple, yellow, and clear.

"A lot of the time, after someone uses the Emeralds, they will be drained of their energy and feel tired for a while," Tails explained.

"I'm guessing that's because their bodies can't handle being empowered by the energy?"

"True," confirmed Tails as he put away his computer. "It doesn't affect Sonic as much, because he has Chaos energy in him."

"There's energy _ in _ him?" Grandpa asked. "How does that work? What about the rest of you?"

"We don't for whatever reason," Tails shrugged. "Also, we quickly learned that the Emeralds can play havoc with technology, including my own, without the Master Emerald, which controls them." He shifted his position on his beanbag. "And since the Master Emerald isn't here as far as we know, things can get messy if we do find the Emeralds. They will need time to adapt to each other."

"Now Chris," Sonic looked me squarely in the eye. "I know you're a good kid, but I want you to know that the Chaos Emeralds are not toys, jewelry, or the like, and are not meant to be treated as such, okay? They are too powerful to be misused by anyone."

"Okay, Sonic," I agreed.

Cream, who had been quietly listening until this point, spoke up. "Were the Chaos Emeralds sent to this planet too?"

Sonic sighed. "Well, Cream, I really don't know. There's only one way to find out."

Turning to Tails, he added, "This is exactly why Tails has been working on a Chaos energy detector last night. Speaking of, did you finish it, Tails?"

"I did!" Tails perked up. "And no, I haven't been able to detect any Chaos energy yet. Maybe I should tweak it later…"

"Another trait the Chaos Emeralds have is that if they are gathered in one place, they can scatter and vanish again," Sonic said. "It's their nature."

"Then that makes it impossible to gather all seven!" I realized.

"Not quite," Sonic countered. "We've managed to have all seven together before. It's usually a mass usage of the Chaos Emeralds that causes them to scatter, like becoming super."

I nodded in understanding.

"Oh, looks like there are only ten minutes until class!" Grandpa pointed out. You need to get going, Chris!"

I was so absorbed in their story and talk about the Chaos Emeralds that I forgot all about school.

"Oh, right! Bye, guys!" I waved while heading for the stairs.

"Bye, Chris!" echoed Tails and Amy.

"Have fun!" Cream added.

I grinned as I carefully descended the steep steps and re-entered the garage. I hoped for their sake that they could find all seven Chaos Emeralds and head back home. But the more I thought about it, I got a sense of attachment, like I didn't want them to leave. Not yet. But I put that thought in the back of my mind as I got on my bike and pedaled off to school.

* * *

**Oakview Elementary School – Mon August 22; 11:22 AM – Chris' POV**

After a few classes, including the boring ones like English, it was time for my favorite subject – math. Sure there were some concepts I struggled with, particularly long division, but the subject overall was surprisingly fun.

As I had been preoccupied with Sonic and his amazing, mind-boggling story, I wasn't surprised to find that I was one of the last students to enter the first class. Nevertheless, I had made it just in time.

I located an empty seat at one of the tables and sat down. There were only two students at that table – a dark-skinned boy wearing a green shirt, and a red-haired girl wearing overalls. I recognized neither of them from last year.

Late as I was, there were still a couple minutes left until class began. I considered starting small talk with them, but the boy beat me to it.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Chris," I responded.

"As in Chris Thorndyke?" he asked.

"…Yeah?"

"Some of the other classmates were telling me about you. How long have you been going here?"

"Since first grade," I responded.

"Cool. My name's Danny."

"And I'm Frances," added the girl.

"Nice to meet you," I politely said.

"Hey, you've been following the alien story lately?" Danny asked. I was almost caught off guard... _ almost _. I tried to tactfully choose my next words.

"Yeah… I think it's pretty cool, but Dr. Eggman is kinda scary." Frances nodded her agreement.

"And then I saw this blue alien totally kick that Eggman's butt!" Danny exclaimed. "I didn't see it in person, but I saw it on the news. My mom doesn't know what to think of it."

"Do you think the government will ever catch these aliens?" Frances asked.

"I doubt it," I answered. At least they didn't know they're staying with me. I figured we were on this subject long enough, so it was time to shift gears to a more… comfortable pace.

"Are you new here?" I asked.

"Yeah," Frances answered. "We just moved here from Los Angeles."

"Ah, okay," I replied. "You're gonna love the math teacher. Miss Wendy Westerly was last year's teacher, and I hear she's gonna be this year's teacher too."

"All right," she replied.

Unfortunately there was no more time to talk, as Principal Everett walked into the room. With him was a man I had never seen before. He was a tall man with dirty blonde shoulder-length hair and shades. My first thought when I saw him?

_ Why is he wearing sunglasses inside? _

"Students, may I have your attention, please?" the principal called over the din of the room. A couple seconds later, everyone was quiet.

"I know that many of you were eager to have Miss Westerly teach in this class for sixth grade. Unfortunately, she is not able to teach, because she has been given leave to attend the International Spelling Bee. Instead, your class will be taught by Mr. Franklin Stewart. Say good morning, class."

"Good morning, Mr. Stewart," we said in unison.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Stewart greeted us. He threw a glance at me. At least, I _ thought _ he did. I thought this was strange, especially since I didn't think he looked at anyone else the same way. And it wasn't any old glance, either. It was pointed, or so I took it. Maybe he found out about Sonic…?

I shrugged it off. I was a popular kid, the son of famous people. Maybe that was why I caught his eye.

Shrugging it off, I listened as he began the lesson.

* * *

**Oakview Elementary School – Mon August 22; 12:04 PM – Chris' POV**

About forty minutes later, it was finally time for lunch. We filed out of the classroom and headed down the hall toward the cafeteria. No one engaged in conversation with me (not that I expected anyone to), which left me to my thoughts about what I had learned.

Danny and Frances were nice enough. Sure, I had spoken with other kids in the past, but I wondered if I could become friends with them. As of now, they didn't know Sonic was staying with me. What would happen if they found out? What if _ anyone _ found out?! There would be trouble for sure. We would be charged with harboring someone who broke into Area 99. I just hoped all would go well…

As for Mr. Stewart, he was a good teacher, comparable to my second grade teacher. He cracked a couple of jokes every now and then, but he stuck to the lesson. We were given homework to do tonight. It wasn't so bad, even if I had just returned to school. But I couldn't get his first impression of me out of my mind. The way he looked at me… He had glanced at me again as I left the class. It was the exact same kind of look. I wondered if–

"Christopher Thorndyke."

I turned around to see Mr. Stewart behind me. Was I in trouble? No, I didn't think so. But the way he glanced at me earlier, maybe he wanted to talk to me or something.

The way he addressed me did not sound like he was chastising me; rather, the tone carried the impression that he only wanted to get my attention. But still, why resort to using my full name?

"I trust you're the son of entrepreneur Nelson Thorndyke and actress Lindsey Fair?"

I nodded. "Y-yeah… How'd you know?"

Mr. Stewart held back a laugh. "How many other Chris Thorndykes are there?"

I mentally slapped myself. This was why I was something of an introvert.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, shaking my hand. "And I'm privileged to be your teacher."

"Thanks," I said. I myself was not _ that _ famous like my parents, but whatever.

"I heard that the aliens involved in yesterday's attack are living within the vicinity of your neighborhood. Are you aware of this?"

I was nearly taken aback for the second time that day. How did he know? Oh wait, I'm sure the government has eyes all over them. At least he didn't say anything about them actually living at my house.

"Uh, yeah," I answered as calmly as I could. "Our maid told me two days ago."

"And you've personally seen them?" he pressed.

I fumbled for what to say for a moment. "A couple of times, on TV yeah," I lied. "Why?"

"Just… take care of yourself, okay?"

"Chris! Hurry up!" I heard Danny call from the distance.

Mr. Stewart nodded. "You'd better get a move on," he said. "See you tomorrow, and it was good meeting you once again."

I left him and hurried after my new acquaintance. My conversation with Mr. Stewart left me with a weird impression. In fact, my teacher was pretty weird overall. First the sideglances, then his probing questions about the aliens, and whether I saw them or not. Did he know something I somehow didn't? More importantly, did he know Sonic and friends were staying with me? If so… this could get bad really fast.

* * *

**Station Square - Midtown – Mon August 22; 3:27 PM – Third-person POV**

Later that afternoon, two men were standing outside a construction zone in midtown Station Square. They seemed to wait there all night, taking shifts, but now they were standing together, watching the construction of a new Wal-Mart at the corner of Crawford Avenue and West Juniper Street.

Their gaze was drawn to a greenish glow emanating from the ground – something they had been monitoring for some time. The men made no move toward the object. Fortunately for them, no one questioned their motives or accused them of loitering in the area.

A backhoe moved in the general direction of the glow. It was beyond the men how no one saw the object embedded in the dirt, and how the backhoe driver himself didn't see it either when he ran it over.

"Here it comes," one of the men whispered to the other.

Suddenly several streaks of green electricity ran up the sides of the backhoe and flowed through its circuits, miraculously leaving the driver unharmed. However, the vehicle began to pick up speed just a little. The men could see the driver attempting to slam on the brakes, but to no avail. It kept traveling uncontrollably straight.

The backhoe wouldn't stop for anything, all on account of that rogue object. It drove toward three workers who were discussing a blueprint. They were able to scramble out of the way just in time.

The second man turned to the first. "You know, even if we're not here to get the Emerald ourselves, watching this was worth the trip," he said.

The first man decided to walk in the direction the backhoe went. As the second man followed, they saw the backhoe plow through a chain-link fence as if it were a house of cards. It drove on for another couple hundred feet before finally stopping well outside the construction zone. Onlookers were shocked and confused. Some even took their phones out and started recording. The two men had to run to keep up.

Several other men, including one the two men believed was the foreman, approached the driver. "Are you okay?" the foreman frantically asked the driver. The two men had to strain to hear him.

The driver, who was clearly shaken, said something, but the men couldn't hear over the noise of the stalled truck and the growing crowd.

"I don't know; you were operating just fine and suddenly the whole thing started sparking."

The driver was climbing out of the vehicle. "I couldn't control it…" he admitted.

"Hey!" shouted one of the workers as he an toward the backhoe. "I think I might have found the problem!"

"Coming!" the foreman shouted back as he and the other workers, including the driver, followed him. The two men decided to head back the way they came.

"We shouldn't have left the Emerald," the second man said.

"Nah, don't worry about it," the first replied. "They wouldn't think about touching something as powerful as that."

They could see that the construction workers were now bending over the green glow in the ground.

"What is it?" one worker asked.

"How can a _ gem _ do all that?" another incredulous worker added.

"And why didn't we know about it before?" a third asked as he leaned down to pick it up.

"Don't touch it," the foreman stopped him. "If it can do that to machinery, it could do worse to people. I'm calling 911."

As he took out his phone and dialed the number, the men turned to each other.

"What do we do?" the first man asked the second. "They're going to keep the Chaos Emerald away from us!"

"Relax," the second said. "We'll contact Dr. Eggman about this. Follow me."

The first man nodded and followed the second across the street. They walked about a block away from the construction site and the Chaos Emerald. Once they were safely hidden behind a building, where they were sure no one would see them, they removed their perception filters. Where two casual men once stood were now a pair of Egg Pawns.

One of the Egg Pawns activated its built-in radio. "Dr. Eggman, a party of humans have discovered the Chaos Emerald," it reported.

_ "Keep monitoring the Emerald," _ Eggman instructed. _ "Knowing these humans, they will be too scared to even try to go near it. I'm coming to claim it right now. Inform me with further updates as they come." _

"Affirmative."

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:27 PM – Third-person POV**

Knuckles had found a secluded alley to hide in so as to avoid detection from the humans. He was even able to spend the night there without anyone seeing him. It wasn't Angel Island, but it had to do, at least until he got back to Mobius.

He thought back to yesterday. It was by far the most productive day he had had on this planet. He had confirmed that Sonic, Amy, Tails, Cream, and Cheese had all made it safely to this world. Some had it rougher than others before the reunion. But in the end, everyone was safe, and they even had a few new locals they could rely on.

About this world… Knuckles was shocked to know that this world had not only it's own Station Square, but also a Guardian Units of Nations organization as well. This could not be coincidence. He wondered what Rouge and Shadow would think if they were to find out. He shrugged, figuring they would feel right at home with the team.

Confirming his musings in the sewer, Eggman had indeed showed up with a robot. He began to seriously believe that his base was transported here as well. How else was he able to use a robot? At least while he was here, his resources were greatly diminished. No Egg Fleet, no Phantom Ruby, no Death Egg. Just the classic Robotnik and Badniks to deal with. And E-Series robots.

They clashed in Station Square yesterday. Sure, Knuckles could have easily destroyed Missile Wrist without Sonic's help, but there was no point in harming innocent people in the streets below. He had decided to let Sonic take care of the robot as soon as he showed up, but this did not stop him and Amy from taking out the robot's powerful hands. When Missile Wrist was destroyed by its own missiles, Knuckles was relieved that the majority of the robot remained on top of the building. Only small chunks fell into the street.

It was their first victory in this world, but this was surely not their last encounter. Not by a long shot. Eggman would see to that.

Today, Knuckles would not be idle like he was when he got here. He was determined to get some forward progress done. Last night, he was a bit too fatigued to immediately search for the Chaos Emeralds, but he endeavored to search first thing in the morning when he got adequate rest.

Now, he was secretly moving through the alleys and underpopulated parts of the city, searching for any possible sign of a Chaos Emerald. He froze, sensing what could be a possible Chaos Emerald. He felt the same tingling sensation yesterday, but had dismissed it on account of fatigue, something he rarely did. But this time, it was stronger than before, and he knew it wasn't just him. His senses didn't lie. There was no way he should dismiss his senses this time. The Emerald _ had _ to be somewhere in the city. Knuckles would not give up until he found it.

* * *

**Eggman's base - Command center – Mon August 22; 3:35 PM – Third-person POV**

"We interrupt your regularly-scheduled broadcast to bring you breaking news. An unidentified object of unknown power has been unearthed at a Wal-Mart construction site in midtown Station Square. This object, which eyewitnesses describe as a gemstone resembling a cut emerald, has reportedly interfered with technology. Already it has caused a power surge, automatically shutting off several smart phones within the immediate area. It has also caused cars to become unresponsive, backing up traffic on Crawford Avenue as far as a quarter mile. However, the most serious incident was when the emerald caused a construction vehicle to move completely on its own, leaving the construction site and damaging the perimeter fence and some of the equipment. The backhoe did not enter the roadway, and there are no reports of injuries. Police are on the scene as we speak, and the bomb squad has been reportedly called out. We have received word from our CNN affiliate that news crews are not permitted on the scene, as there are fears that the emerald could cause permanent damage to equipment. In fact, police are warning all Station Square residents to stay clear of the Wal-Mart construction site until the bomb squad can safely remove the unidentified object. … This just in, we have just received our first eyewitness photo of the emerald. This Twitter photo was taken by lukemanning91, and you can clearly make out the half-buried shape of the gemstone. It appears to resemble one of those imitation gemstones you might find at a gift shop. Luke was able to take this photo because the emerald appeared to be on cooldown, supposedly having exhausted its power for the time being. It still remains unclear as to its origin, but people are already suspecting that it is an element from the aliens' home planet. We will bring you further updates as they come. I'm Scarlet Garcia for Channel 4 News; now back to General Hospital already in progress."

Dr. Eggman turned off the jumbo screen. Now the humans knew about the Chaos Emerald.

The mad genius marveled at the fact that it had taken the public nearly nineteen hours to discover the Emerald after Eggman did. Well, that was because they didn't have anything _ remotely _ close to a Chaos energy scanner. However, he did not expect the single Chaos Emerald to cause this much… _ chaos _. His clever brain immediately made a logical conclusion. The reason the Chaos Emerald was so erratic was because Angel Island was not present in this dimension. It was not Chaos Controlled to this world; therefore, the Master Emerald was not present to keep the Emeralds' power in check. Without the Master Emerald, the seven Chaos Emeralds would surely live up to their name. Imagine what they could do to Super Sonic…

Bocoe turned to Eggman. "Doctor, permission to request the Egg Pawns to retrieve the Chaos Emerald?"

Eggman thought for a moment. "No," he decided. "They are only my scout robots. They'd blow their cover if they tried to go anywhere near the Emerald. Besides, the police are there."

"But you could've asked them to get the Emerald at night," thought Bokkun in hindsight.

"They _ work _ at night, Bokkun. Otherwise, I would have gotten it already."

"Then what are your options? You cannot return to Station Square because the citizens will be prepared for you."

"Oh, but I am," contradicted Eggman as he stood up. "Who cares about _ them _ ? It's _ Sonic _ who's the real threat. Decoe, Bocoe, prepare my Eggmobile. … Actually, just you, Decoe. Bocoe, get my cards – the ones that aren't in the case."

"Affirmative," the two robots replied in unison.

Bocoe promptly walked over to the drawer that contained Eggman's Robot Selection Cards and picked up the deck with the rubber band around it. As Decoe entered the metro elevator (only he, Bocoe, Bokkun, and Eggman had the clearance to use that elevator), Bocoe handed the deck to Eggman, who quickly removed the rubber band and inserted the deck into the slot in the console.

"Are you conflicted as to which robot to dispatch?" asked Bocoe.

Eggman pulled the lever and folded his hands together. "Of course; why else would I need the cards? Any robot could distract Sonic as easily as another."

The three slots spun, making their contents appear like a blur. Eggman had rigged them to always show the same robot on all three slots.

"I hope it's an air robot!" exclaimed Bokkun as he hovered just behind Eggman.

The slots slowed to a stop, and they landed on…

"E-11 Beacon! Awesome choice!" shouted Bokkun as he fist-pumped.

"I daresay it is," Eggman said as he stood up. "It is one of my most skilled aerial robots. It's fast, and it can occupy both the Tornado and Sonic simultaneously while I go get the Emerald."

The mad doctor made sure to press Confirm before heading to the metro elevator. He pressed the button and waited the fifteen seconds it took for the elevator to rise. Once it rose, he stepped inside. Another fifteen seconds later, he was below ground with the Eggmobile and Decoe waiting just outside the elevator.

"The Eggmobile has been initialized as you have requested, Doctor. However, it is taking longer than expected to prepare the robot you have selected."

Eggman did not expect this sudden setback. "Why is that?"

"It appears the slot machine is rigged only for single robots, and not for mass-produced robots such as the E-11 unit you have summoned."

"How long will the delay be?"

"Approximately ten minutes, Doctor."

Eggman sighed. "Well, might as well come upstairs with me. I'll get something to eat while I wait."

Decoe followed Eggman into the metro elevator, and it only took another fifteen seconds to get back to the control room. Bocoe looked surprised to see him back.

"I did not expect your return to be so quick," he said.

"My robot's delayed," Eggman admitted as he headed toward the kitchen.

"Doctor, I should inform you that our most recent surveillance patrol unit has detected several personnel affiliated with the Guardian Units of Nations."

"What?!" exclaimed an incredulous Eggman. "That's impossible! What are they doing _ here _ ?! They're supposed to be back on Mobius!" Then he had another thought. "Unless this is related to the enigma of how Station Square is also here. Bocoe, what _ is _ GUN doing here?"

"It appears they are monitoring our activity."

Eggman stroked his luxurious mustache. "Surveillance. Okay. Carry on with the original mission. Tighten the security around here and keep tabs on them, but don't do anything about GUN just yet."

"Affirmative."

As Bocoe spoke over the intercom in his first step in increasing security, Eggman left the command center and headed down the main elevator to the second floor of his impressive eight-floor fortress. This was where the kitchen was. He wasn't overly surprised to see Bokkun already there. The messenger robot was eating a Jimmy Dean sandwich.

"I thought you were going to get the Emerald, Dr. Eggman," Bokkun said around a mouthful of sandwich. "Changed your mind?"

"Yes. My robot's delayed," Eggman sighed as he reached into the freezer for a sandwich of his own. "Remind me to modify the slot machine so I can avoid these delays next time."

"Okay," Bokkun replied in his always-cheerful voice. "You need to–"

"Not literally right now, Bokkun," Eggman corrected. He popped the Jimmy Dean into the microwave and set it to the correct setting. As he watched it spin, he thought to himself that he was glad he sent several disguised robots to buy him groceries. While Earth's food wasn't bad, Mobian food was far better. It probably had to do with all the preservatives Earth's humans crammed into their food products to call it "food". But Jimmy Dean was great nonetheless.

At last the sandwich was done, and Eggman took it out of the microwave. "Robot's gonna be ready in about two minutes," he announced as he took a bite of the sandwich and ran from the kitchen. Only a couple minutes later, he was back in front of the Eggmobile. That was also the amount of time it took for him to finish his sandwich. He tossed the wrapper into a nearby garbage can. Even though he was a supervillain, he would never stoop to something as low as littering. Only idiots would do that.

Eggman realized he had made it just in time. The massive doors to the bowels of the robot factory were just beginning to open. Eggman was rarely inside the robot factory, but thanks to the ingenious design of the fortress, he knew everything ran smoothly within, so he never had to go in there.

The E-11 Beacon he ordered rolled out onto the runway as the secret entrance at the end thereof opened up. With the Beacon now in position, Eggman climbed into the Eggmobile. Good thing Decoe already entered the PIN for him – the Eggmobile's identity was made only for himself and his top robots. Speaking of top robots, Eggman considered reactivating Orbot and Cubot soon – they had gotten too much for him earlier, but maybe they changed.

Pointing forward, Eggman took off up the sloped runway, with the Beacon following.

"Chaos Emerald, here I come," whispered Eggman as he and his latest robot emerged into the open air.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion – Mon August 22; 3:35 PM – Third-person POV**

Sonic was relaxing in one of the boughs of an oak tree outside the living room window. It had become one of his favorite spots to kick back and relax since he arrived. The other was the roof. Both places felt nice and open – the perfect place for one as free as the wind to chill.

Save for the occasional bird chirping, the quiet environment allowed the hedgehog to let his thoughts wander. He wondered how Chris was doing at school, as well as whether he would make it back to Mobius in the near future. Sure, he liked this world, but nothing could beat home sweet home.

Just then Sonic heard the mansion's side door open, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Nervous for Chris' sake that he might be caught, he was just about to scramble out of sight when he saw that it was only Cream. He had caught word from Chuck that she was allowed to be inside today, as the maid and butler had left to shop and practice karate respectively.

"Mr. Sonic, they found one!" Cream gleefully announced.

"Found what, kiddo?" Sonic asked as he relaxed a little in the tree.

"A Chaos Emerald! They found a Chaos Emerald, Mr. Sonic!" she danced excitedly.

Elation washed through Sonic as well. This was the best thing he had heard all day.

"Was this on the news?" queried Sonic.

"Yes, Mr. Sonic."

"Did they by any chance say where it is?"

Ashamed, Cream looked down at the grass. "I'm sorry… I wasn't paying attention until they showed a picture of it."

"That's okay," Sonic said as he hopped down from the tree. "I'm the fastest thing alive. You know I'll find it before long." He flashed her a wink.

"But you don't even know where it is," Cream pointed out.

"Oh, I'll run into it eventually," Sonic promised. "Plus, Knux offered to help out. Go tell the others about this. I gotta juice!"

With that, the hedgehog took off. Cream immediately took off running as well, Cheese right behind her. As she flew to gain more speed, she was mildly annoyed with herself for not finding out where the Emerald was. This was a crucial detail, and Eggman might get it first because of her. But since Sonic was after it right now, things might not turn out to be so bad.

Cream landed and quickly found Tails and Chuck working on the Tornado in the garage.

"Mr. Tails, Mr. Chuck!" she gasped, out of breath. "They found a–"

"Chaos Emerald?" Chuck finished. He gestures to the small television mounted in one of the corners. "We just saw it on the news ourselves, but thanks for telling us. Tails is on his way out to get it now."

"What's going on?" came Amy's voice as she appeared in the stairway.

"The news said they found a Chaos Emerald," summarized Tails.

"Really?!" exclaimed Amy.

"Yeah," Tails answered. "From what they said, it doesn't look like it's too far from here."

"There's hope!" Amy declared, determination flashing in her jade eyes. "I'm coming with you."

Tails nodded. "Good; I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

Cream looked up at Chuck. "Are you coming too, Mr. Chuck?"

Chuck laughed a little. "Oh no, not me. I'm far too old for this kind of thing. Besides, the Tornado only seats two." Chuck didn't mention the part where he also wouldn't physically fit in the Tornado, which was clearly not made for Mobians even though Chris could fit in the passenger's seat, which he later admitted was a little snug.

"Okay," Cream nodded in understanding. "Mr. Sonic already left to find it, but he doesn't know where it is."

"What do you mean?" asked Amy.

"Because I didn't pay attention to where it is!"

"Well, don't worry," reassured Amy as she climbed into the passenger's seat of the Tornado. "Tails heard the news report for you. Oh, by the way, how are we doing on the ring supply, Tails?"

"We should be fine," reported Tails. "I was able to create a machine to duplicate our previously limited supply of Power Rings. We were only down to like three."

"Which reminds me," Chuck spoke, "I find these 'Power Rings' to be fascinating. Mind if I study them while you're gone?"

"Go right ahead," Tails said. "But I would be careful with them, even if they're encoded for Sonic's use only."

Chuck scratched his graying head. "Encoded?"

"I'll explain when we get back," promised Tails, smiling. "They've got a pretty complicated past."

"All right, thanks. And take care."

"We'll be fine, don't worry!" Tails called behind him as he taxied forward. Cream called goodbye as the Tornado entered the driveway.

After making sure everything was in flying order, he eased forward on the throttle, accelerating down the driveway. He pulled back on another throttle, pulling the plane into the sky.

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:38 PM – Sonic's POV**

Trying to find a suppressed Chaos Emerald unassisted and unaided was like trying to find a particular needle in a haystack full of needles. While I wasn't exactly sensitive to the presence of a Chaos Emerald like Knuckles is, I still managed to track them down nonetheless.

Even when traveling at a leisurely 350 miles per hour, I could still feel myself drawing stares from the passerbys. So they saw me in battle yesterday. Big deal. I didn't care _ who _ saw me at this point. That wasn't important. All that mattered was that I found the Emerald and got it away from Eggman. And, for all I knew, the doctor was probably already informed.

Then I got an idea. What if I were to scale a high-rise and see if I could spot any sign of the Chaos Emerald from above?

Going through with my plan, I ran up the side of the nearest building, and in seconds was rewarded with a bird's-eye view of Station Square. The city was big and beautiful, but there was no familiar glow or anything down there.

Since there was no point in searching alone when I had nothing to go on, I decided that my best course of action was to wait for Tails to come. By any luck, he had seen the news himself and learned the location of the Chaos Emerald. On the other hand, since Eggman was probably on his way over as well, what if – I chuckled to myself – he was able to unwittingly _ guide _ me to the Emerald?

I decided to do that once he arrived, assuming he came before Tails. All I had to do was wait…

* * *

**The Pacific Ocean – Mon August 22; 3:49 PM – Third-person POV**

Eggman and his E-11 Beacon weren't even five minutes into their flight to Station Square when they spotted something below them that could pose an immediate threat to Eggman's plans.

A U.S. Navy battleship.

In his haste to prepare for his mission to obtain the Chaos Emerald, Eggman had not taken into account the fact that GUN would be backed by the Navy or, even worse, the Air Force. This ship appeared to be headed away from the island, assumably having dropped off the GUN surveillance team mere hours prior.

But then again, what threat could one single ship pose to Eggman's mission?

As an answer, the ship fired two missiles directly at the Beacon.

"A minor setback," mused the unfazed doctor as he turned to his robot. "Beacon, you know what to do."

The Beacon broke away from Eggman's side, allowing the missiles to lock on to it. It increased its speed slightly before descending in a steep dive toward the ocean. Once it was low enough, the Beacon suddenly leveled out, allowing one of the missiles to crash into the ocean. That still left one more.

The Beacon pulled up before looping back down toward the ocean, the missile following closely. It crashed through the ocean's surface, and emerged a moment later with no missile tailing it. The Beacon had not suffered any water damage in the process, a sure sign that Eggman's tech was supreme.

"Even the United States Navy couldn't destroy a single robot of mine?" Eggman asked as the Beacon returned to his side. "Surprising," he sarcastically added.

The two proceeded to the city of Station Square which drew ever nearer. He knew exactly where the Chaos Emerald was, and he intended to collect it without a hitch.

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:51 PM – Chris' POV**

"West Juniper Street. West Juniper Street," I repeated in my head as I pedaled. I had just finished with school, and was riding my bike as fast as I could so I could get to the Chaos Emerald. It was an incredible stroke of luck that I just so happened to catch some of the staff talking about the latest news, and I was even luckier that I caught the location it was at.

One student questioned my hasty exit from the school, to which I said I was expecting a friend over in a few. It may have been a little bit untrue, but I had to cover for my new friends in any way I could. Otherwise, the cat would be out of the bag, Sonic and the others would be arrested for being a menace to society for bringing their battle to our planet, and my family would be in deep trouble for harboring criminals if Sonic was convicted. I couldn't have that, now could I?

Juniper Street was near midtown, which was not too far away from Harris Bingham Memorial Park. Part of me expected the Emerald to no longer be there by the time I got there. Either Eggman or Sonic could have already claimed it long before I left school. But the other, more dominant part of me said it might still be there, waiting for me to claim it for Sonic. That was the part I listened to.

I held back a smile. Surely no one would possibly think that I, an ordinary kid, would try to obtain the Chaos Emerald out of a construction site which probably had a giant fence around it. I mean, that would be foolhardy, right?

Just then I heard the noise of a small plane above me. I knew there weren't any airfields near me, so what could it have been? I looked up and saw the Tornado flying above me, traveling in the same direction I was headed in. Its motor seemed quieter than other similar planes I've heard. Maybe Mobians had a way with tech that we humans didn't?

I didn't think Tails saw me at all, as he kept flying straight. Good to know that not only did Tails also see the news report, but I was heading in the right direction.

I followed the Tornado down the street, when I got the feeling I was being followed myself. Throwing a quick glance over my shoulder, I caught sight of a green SUV nearby. I thought I saw that car earlier in my trip. But I dismissed it as I saw Crawford Avenue in front of me. I made a left at the light and continued my journey.

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:52 PM – Sonic's POV**

Over ten minutes was a painfully long time for me to wait for anything.

Several times, I had crisscrossed the city in search of the Emerald before returning to my post atop the skyscraper, waiting for Tails. What was taking him so long? And why was this Chaos Emerald way past elusive?

As I was glancing in the direction of the damaged Eckstein Center, I became aware of the sound of an engine. I knew right away that it couldn't be the Tornado, not with the turbo whine this engine carried.

As soon as I turned around, I was met with the sight of one of Eggman's E-Series robots. Great… According to the data we pored over from that infiltration mission we did, this was an E-11 Beacon, which was basically just an oversized Balkiry. And sure enough, a certain round bald guy was flying his Eggmobile next to it. I bet a couple chili dogs they weren't not here to chat.

_ Come on, Tails, _ I thought. _ Now would be a good time to show up. _

My next thoughts turned to Chris. I hoped for his sake he didn't see the news report, or otherwise catch wind of the Emerald. Sure, I knew he was in school, but I didn't know what time it was, so for all I knew, he was home already.

The first thing I noticed about Eggman and his bird-shaped Beacon was the fact that they didn't see me at all. Uh, _ hello _? Big blue hedgehog standing on top of a tall building, and no one sees it? …Figures.

I decided not to act right away either. Instead, I put my plan into action and watched where Eggman was headed. Actually, it's probably hard to see them if they disappear behind some of the other buildings, so I decided to hitchhike on the Beacon while giving myself a bird's-eye view of their destination. (Yes, pun intended. Thank you, thank you.)

So I took a flying leap off the building and landed squarely on the back of the Beacon, spreading my arms for balance. I gotta say, it was definitely worth the risk to see the city below you so long as you don't get vertigo. One of the biggest tourist attractions appeared to be a construction site. The area near it and the couple blocks around it were packed with people. They started to clear out as soon as they saw Eggman. They were either taking pictures or screaming and running for their lives, the majority choosing B.

_ That must be where the Chaos Emerald is, _ I thought. Then I noticed that there were absolutely no news crews anywhere near the site – only a heavy police presence. I could see why. From Knuckles' experience, without the Master Emerald in this plane of reality, the Chaos Emeralds tended to be more chaotic. It would have done a lot of damage to the equipment.

Now that I knew where the Emerald was, I decided to ditch my ride. "Thanks for the lift, Eggy! Keep the change!" I called before attempting to grind through the Beacon. It would have worked had it not seen it coming. It pulled up and flew with its nose pointed directly upward, causing me to almost lose my balance. Then I saw its beak open, and a pink energy wave threw me off of the Beacon. Good thing I was planning to get off anyway.

"You're getting smarter, Eggman," I muttered. "I'll give you that."

I landed on the roof of a smaller building, and decided to go after the Beacon so that it wouldn't be a nuisance when I tried to find the Emerald. I vaulted myself back toward the Beacon, but it reactivated its energy shield, bouncing me off and throwing me to the ground. I grunted as I stood back up. There _ had _ to be a way to get past that shield…

I heard another motor in the sky, this time a much friendlier-sounding one. Looking up, I saw the familiar blue fuselage of the Tornado 2, complete with my name printed on the side. Backup had _ finally _ arrived. Squinting, I could barely make out Amy in the back seat, holding out a Power Ring for me. I smirked. That could be my one ticket to breaking the energy shield.

I got a running start and leaped toward the Tornado. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eggman pointing directly at the Tornado.

_ That better not be an interception order, _ I thought.

Oh, but it _ was _ an interception. The Beacon flew over and ever so slightly nudged the belly of the Tornado as it passed. That was all it took to jostle the plane and cause Amy to lose her grip on the ring. But that wasn't all.

As I ran toward the ring, the Beacon flew over and bumped it away from me. I lost sight of it somewhere, and I knew I couldn't waste precious time searching for it. Maybe I could come back after this battle and look for it – that is, if someone hadn't sold it on eBay already.

Its next target was me. As it swooped down toward me, I attempted to home attack it with all my might, but only resulted in giving myself a headache as I was thrown backward again. This was not my day…

* * *

**The construction site – Mon August 22; 3:53 PM – Chris' POV**

At last, I saw Juniper Street in front of me. And oh boy, I might have bitten off a lot more than I could chew…

There were police officers and cars _ everywhere _. Traffic appeared to be mostly clear in the area, but there was debris from… something. Not to mention I saw Sonic in the distance fighting Dr. Eggman and what looked like a new and far more dangerous robot of his.

Fortunately, the battle appeared to offer a distraction for everyone, and since no one was making a move for the construction site, that meant the Chaos Emerald was still there. _ But how do I get in there? _ I mused.

I spotted a part of the fence that appeared to be destroyed, as if a heavy vehicle had driven through it. And I spotted the culprit, a backhoe, further down Juniper Street. It was being flagged off by police tape. Evidently the Chaos Emerald's power had overridden its controls.

That hole in the fence was my way in. There was always a chance that I would be caught, but I chose not to think about it.

I ditched my bike at the street corner and crossed the barren street. There was no need to press the crossing button, as there wasn't really any traffic nearby. Taking another quick look up, I saw Sonic and Eggman's robot still fighting, but Eggman himself was nowhere in sight. I carefully climbed over the broken fence and entered the construction site, all the while wondering why no one was trying to stop me.

It was pretty much what I expected a construction site to look like – dirt, trucks, cement, and steel girders everywhere. The place was huge! Maybe a little too huge considering I was on an urgent mission to find a magic gemstone from another world. I didn't have to do this, and I knew I probably shouldn't have trespassed, bit I was already in too deep.

Wait a minute…

I quickly spotted a small green glow in a mound of dirt on the other side of the construction site. The Chaos Emerald!

I ran for all I was worth toward the unearthly glow. And indeed, it was unearthly. No one would believe me if I told them that for someone who has had no experience in mining or anything similar, I, an ordinary kid, had found a precious gemstone buried in plain sight. Not only that, but I also beat Sonic and Eggman to it!

I finally reached the Chaos Emerald and quickly used my hands to unearth it. Sure, my hands were dirty now, but it was totally worth it.

Once I finished removing all the dirt around the Emerald, I picked it up and examined it. It may have looked like a gem you'd find at a gift shop, and felt like one too, but its beautiful, bright glow was mesmerizing. It was even warm to the touch, as if its power had recently been used. Furthermore, I could actually feel the Emerald's power coursing through me. I felt as if I was more alert, and possibly stronger. I cautioned myself not to get too carried away, as Amy had mentioned something about humans not being able to use the Emeralds like Sonic could. After all, I was not a Mobian.

I had been so engrossed by the Emerald's beauty and power that I almost forgot I had legs. Legs to run off the construction site before I was fined for trespassing. Legs to take the Chaos Emerald home and show the others. Legs to avoid Eggman before he forcefully pushed me to the ground.

I was sent roughly sprawling to the dirt. How did I not hear the engine of Eggman's craft, or his footsteps? As soon as I turned around, I saw the Emerald safely in the palm of the grinning scientist's gloves hand.

I stood up and faced him. Now that I was seeing him up close for the first time, he looked like both a cartoon character and a real menace at the same time. His red suit, his goggles, his glasses, his oversized mustache – he looked every inch the adversary of Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Hey, give it back!" I demanded.

"Finders keepers," Eggman said with an amused chuckle. "I'll have you know I called dibs on this last night. It is in no way yours."

"But–"

"Wait a minute," he realized, as if he recognized me. "You're the one I saw with Tails yesterday. Well, did those furries living with you ever tell you that humans have absolutely no use for Chaos Emeralds? None! Zero! Besides, you're a kid. You would hardly know what to do with such a powerful artifact as a Chaos Emerald!"

I felt more than a little frightened in his presence. I mean, this was the big bad of Sonic's world. If he was as bad as Sonic said he was, then…

"No," I responded as evenly as I could, "but Sonic does."

"Really now," Eggman said. "So can I. You should see what I've used the Emeralds for in the past."

"I don't care!" I almost shouted. "How did you know the Chaos Emerald was here? How did you know that Sonic is living with me?"

Eggman folded his arms. "I have my ways," he simply stated. "Besides, I don't even need to know where your house is to know that they're stating with you. I knew this when I saw you yesterday. Now beat it."

No way would I beat it, not when the fate of the Emerald rested on my shoulders. Suddenly I felt brave. I ran after Eggman, who was surprisingly fast in spite of his weight. He leaped into his hovercraft and started to rise into the air. With an extra burst of adrenalin, I grabbed hold of a handle on the right wing (probably used for easy maintenance) and was lifted up with Eggman. I would not let go. Not for anything in the world.

"Leave the kid alone!" I heard a gruff voice shout beneath us. Daring to glance down, I saw Knuckles, a mixture of fear, horror, and anger on his features. We were a good fifteen feet above the ground. Eggman responded by swiveling the hovercraft to the left. I tightened my grip on the handle, wondering if I was foolish to do what I did.

"I'll catch you!" Knuckles shouted, right before he was hit by a laser fired by the hovercraft. Well, there went my rescue…

With Knuckles down, the hovercraft continued to rise into the air. I couldn't let go. I wouldn't. The city was getting further and further away. Suddenly it hit me how foolish I had been. I didn't know I was going to risk my life for a powerful artifact like the Chaos Emerald. I clung to the handle so hard that not only did my knuckles whiten, but I think I would get callouses later.

Death was a very real possibility.

And I was too scared to scream for help.

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:55 PM – Sonic's POV**

The Beacon I was still fighting may have been fast, but it still had nothing on me. I gained on it as it flew away from me. Then it flew straight up and flipped over, so now I was on the receiving end of the chase. Instead of running like it probably wanted me to, I home-attacked the Beacon again. Once again, its shield prevented any damage. I was starting to get fed up with it.

Just then I saw a missile flying down from above. I was confused at first, until I realized it was the Tornado launching a Power Ring down to me. I would get a chance at redemption, a second shot at taking down the Beacon.

Once it was within range, the ring popped out of the tip of the rocket and landed in my open hand, empowering me with its energy. We had performed drills with fake rings in years past, so Tails and I had perfected this technique. The now-hollow rocket exploded on impact with Beacon, doing no damage on account of the energy shield.

The Beacon began to fly upward again, as if to taunt me. Challenge accepted.

I was just about to chase it when I heard someone calling my name. Turning, I saw Knuckles approaching me, out of breath. He had to have gotten a great workout session or something today.

"The kid…!" he started to say, but stammered.

"Slow down," I encouraged, secretly hoping he wouldn't, as Power Ring energy only lasted so long.

"The kid…" he panted, pointing above us. "He's up there with Eggman… I couldn't stop him…"

"Chris…" I muttered, before immediately running up the nearby skyscraper. I could kill two robo-birds with one spin-dash: kill this robo-bird with a spin dash, and see where Eggman and Chris were.

So I landed a perfect ring-powered impact in the Beacon, leaving a Sonic-shaped hole in its inner workings right before it exploded. Landing on the skyscraper, I caught sight of the Eggmobile, and made out the feeble shape of poor Chris clinging to its wing for dear life.

I had no idea how or why he was up there, but as I ran back down the skyscraper, I knew I had to brace myself for a life-or-death rescue.

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:55 PM – Chris' POV**

I had never been more scared in my life.

There I was, hanging onto Eggman's hovercraft for my life about two thousand feet above the ground. I couldn't bring myself to look down. I wouldn't. Doing so would only heighten my fear.

But I knew I couldn't back down on my mission. It was far too late for that.

I worked up just enough courage and willpower to lift my right leg onto the wing of Eggman's hovercraft. Once I was sure I had a secure footing, I let go of the handle and raised my other leg on to the wing. Now I was fully on the wing.

It was a wonder Eggman couldn't see me yet. He was busy activating his radio.

"Eggman to E-11," he spoke. "We have what we came for. Return to base."

No response.

"Eggman to E-11, please respond."

Still nothing.

"Blast that meddling hedgehog," he growled. That was a good sign. Maybe this meant Sonic destroyed the robot!

Then I saw it – the Chaos Emerald was resting in Eggman's lap. It was within my reach, but I would have to be very stealthy about obtaining it, though.

Very carefully, I inched my way toward Eggman, then suddenly lunged for the Emerald. I briefly touched it, but it managed to escape from me and rolled to the other side of Eggman's lap.

Of all the miserable luck… And of course, Eggman saw what I was doing.

"You obviously didn't think this through, did you," he chastised. "Here's how I deal with hitchhikers!"

He immediately tilted the craft to the right. I nearly lost my balance, but the sudden adrenalin rush I had received gave me a second wind, and I made another attempt at the Emerald. This time, I firmly felt it in my grasp. As I continued to lose my balance, I made a wild grab for anything to stay aloft.

"GAAHHH! Let go of my mustache!" he screamed. It would have been funny under different circumstances. He immediately righted the vehicle in an attempt to get me to let go, which I did not.

"Give me that Emerald!" he said as darkly as he could under the pain of his facial hair being pulled.

I summoned all the courage I could muster to bellow a hearty "NO!"

The struggle continued. Me trying to grab onto other parts of Eggman's hovercraft, Eggman trying to make me let go of his mustache and the Chaos Emerald. In our scuffle, he accidentally pressed two buttons, causing the entire vehicle to tilt to the side, leaving me hanging over the air!

Never before had my heart pounded harder. And it beat even harder when I felt my grip slipping.

"Eggman… help me!" I pleaded in a last-ditch attempt, hoping he would have an iota of mercy.

And with that, I fell.

Now I was free-falling toward the city below. Only two thousand feet separated me from the cold hard ground below. I began to wonder if I shouldn't have let go. My grip on the Chaos Emerald tightened. I knew I would die, but I would make sure the Chaos Emerald went down with me. Eggman would never get a hold of it.

I honestly had no idea whether or not Eggman would help me. I mean, he was Sonic's enemy, and since I was Sonic's friend, common logic stated that I was his enemy. But maybe there was a little compassion in him...

My heart pounded like a drum in my ears. The wind was hitting my face so hard I was almost forced to close my eyes. I knew that death was within seconds. Sonic was still fighting that robot, and Tails was too far away to do anything. All hope was lost.

All that was processed in about nine seconds. The last thing I remembered before I passed out from total fear was the sensation of two gloved hands breaking my fall and carrying me to safety at sonic speed.

* * *

**Station Square – Mon August 22; 3:56 PM – Third-person POV**

Knuckles had seen everything.

It hadn't even taken Sonic three seconds to destroy the Beacon once he told Sonic the news of the human child (Chris, was it?). Afterward, Sonic had immediately sprinted down the skyscraper and deeper into the city to perform one of the most impressive flying catches he had ever seen.

The echidna now watched Sonic disappear into the traffic with Chris. While he didn't openly show it, he was amazed at the incredible risk the human child took to get the Chaos Emerald. That took serious guts. He was glad to know that both Chris and the Chaos Emeralds were in safe hands, even if he didn't claim it himself.

Just then, he heard the sound of shouting coming from the nearby construction site. Turning, he saw two Egg Pawns menacing the officers, even firing blasts at them. The police retaliated with their guns, doing minimal damage with their bullets. Knuckles knew he had to act now.

He lunged toward the two Egg Pawns, and impaled the first one with a satisfying crunch. Before the other could react, he had kicked a hole through it. He then caught sight of a device attached to them, and picked one up.

"Perception filters," he mumbled, crushing it in his hand. No wonder he didn't see them sooner. He saw the astounded police officers approaching him, and waved his hand.

"No need to thank me; it's what I do," Knuckles dismissively waved before walking away. The officers stared after him.

"Uh… Shouldn't we be going after him?" one of the officers asked, remembering the order to catch him yesterday. The officer in charge of the group responded.

"We'll discuss this with the higher-ups, but I'm thinking no. It's pretty clear by now that he's one of the good guys. We'll let him go, but keep an eye on him."

Another officer ran up. "Hey, the bomb squad's here."

"All right, thanks," the officer in charge responded as he walked up to where the bomb squad's vehicles had just parked. Three personnel emerged from one of the vehicles.

"Okay, where's the gem in question?" one of the bomb squad members asked.

"Yes, it's right over here in this–" he stopped when he saw that the gem was gone. Puzzlement crossed the features of all who were present. The bomb squad had been briefed with the news report, so they knew the police weren't lying.

However, they had no idea that it had been taken by a human child – a human child who had almost died to keep it out of the wrong hands.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Chuck's lab – Mon August 22; 4:12 PM – Chris' POV**

"…you saw what happened at the construction site. Could the same thing happen to the appliances in here?"

"Even if it does, Chuck, I can always fix 'em up for you. Though, I'll probably end up making them work better in the process…"

I slowly regained my senses, my eyes fluttering open as I became aware of the sound of soft conversation around me. I was in Grandpa's lab. But… how did I not die? I was supposed to hit the ground below and… But I was here…

"He's awake," I heard Tails softly announce to the rest of the room.

Turning, I saw the fox standing by my bedside. With him were Grandpa, Amy, Cream and Cheese. They were all looking down at me with concerned expressions. Little Cream was wide-eyed at what had almost happened to me. The adrenalin was still draining from me, so I was feeling weak and tired.

I started to sit up, a plethora of questions flossing my mind to the brim.

"Lie back down, Chris," Grandpa instructed. As I did so, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Chris… you nearly fell to your death today," he spoke, his voice slightly strained.

"Yeah," I responded quietly. "I know…"

"Your friends told me what happened. They were very worried about you, Chris. Please promise me you'll be careful in the future and not throw yourself headfirst into danger. You know how your parents worry about you."

I solemnly nodded. "Did… Did Sonic save me?" I asked the first of many questions.

Amy nodded slightly. "He caught you seconds before you were due to hit the ground."

"I saw you falling," Tails added, "but there was nothing I could have done about it. Good thing Sonic destroyed the robot when he did."

My thoughts drifted to the prize we had found today.

"And… the Emerald…?" I didn't know if I had somehow dropped after I passed out.

As an answer, Cream picked up the shiny green gem from off the desk on the other side of the room. Walking over to me, she gently placed it into my hands. Her Chao Cheese hovered over to me and gave a gentle hug, nuzzling my cheek (he was pretty soft), as if assuring me that I was going to be all right. I hoped that would be the case. This situation was perilous, even traumatic.

"We're one step closer to home…" Cream solemnly whispered.

"Chao chao…" Cheese replied just as quietly, and I pulled him into a hug like I would a teddy bear. I was still very much shaken up.

I fingered the Chaos Emerald. It was not as warm as it was before, but it still felt exactly the same as it has before. If that was only a fraction of its power that I had witnessed… then what was its full potential? What would it be like if all seven of them were to come together? Then spectacular things would happen… and Sonic and friends would be able to go home. Now that I was getting to know them better, I didn't know if I really wanted them to leave right away.

I put those thoughts aside, letting them turn to who saved me. "Is Sonic here?" I asked.

"Right here, buddy," Sonic called from the windowsill on the wall behind me. He hopped off and walked to my bedside. "Good to see you're still with us."

"Sonic…" I began, not sure how to phrase what I was about to say.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry… sorry for throwing myself in danger like that. I'm just a kid, and… and I almost lost the Emerald…"

"But you got it in the end, didn't you?" Sonic replied with his signature smirk. "That's all that matters. For a kid, I gotta say you're really daring. I mean, risking it all to take a Chaos Emerald right out of the hands of Eggman himself – that's awesome in my book. You were way past cool back there!"

As Sonic gave me a thumbs-up, I couldn't help but smile. A compliment from one of my best and most unique friends!

"We would probably have lost it if it weren't for you, Chris," Amy added.

"By the way, how _ did _ you find out about it?" asked Tails.

"I overheard some of the staff talking about it," I replied, adjusting myself beneath the covers of Grandpa's bed. "Good thing I'm a fast biker," I chuckled weakly.

"You did good today, Chris, but try to take care of yourself next time, okay, buddy?" Sonic said. Grandpa nodded his agreement.

"Okay," I answered. I hoped I would never find myself in one of those situations again.

My gaze returned to the Emerald. There was so much power within…

"One down, six to go..." I whispered.

"Yes," Cream responded, starting to get excited. "Then we can all go home, and I can see my mother!"

"That's right, Cream," Amy replied. "I really miss her baking."

Again it hurt me that Cream had to be without her mom for an extended period of time, especially since she was only six. But I knew she also had great, supportive friends who could take care of her, just as I did. There was definitely something different about Mobians compared to humans - a special kind of different. They were true friends, willing to risk it all to keep their own from harm. And I was proud to be called one of their own.

I looked from Sonic to Grandpa, to Tails, to Amy, to Cream and Cheese, before returning my gaze to the beauty of the Emerald. We had won that day, but it had very nearly come at a civilian cost. At least we had gotten the Chaos Emerald at the end of the day. Even though I was shaken from my near-death experience, I couldn't wait to see what my next adventure would bring.


	5. Citadel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic and Knuckles engage in a duel. Meanwhile, their friends depart for Silver Valley to find another Chaos Emerald.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning: Very mild, non-graphic torture

**Station Square - An alley – Sat August 27; 11:22 PM – Third-person POV**

Knuckles the Echidna was sitting alone in an alley in one of the less populated districts of Station Square. A storm system had dumped a deluge of rain on the city all that day. The skies were still largely overcast, but gradually clearing. A breeze still lingered from the storm, strong enough to blow loose papers around. At least it was warm enough so that the echidna did not catch a chill. He had experienced worse during his duty on Angel Island.

It was Saturday night, five days since the first Chaos Emerald was discovered in the heart of Station Square. Even though he and his friends emerged victorious, it was still a rough day. He never got the Emerald himself, but was grateful that Sonic and his new friend Chris did. Speaking of the human, Knuckles was grateful Sonic had been there to catch him when he fell. Chris had been incredibly brave.

A copy of the front page of the  _ Station Square Times _ blew by. Knuckles leaned down from the crate he was seated on and picked it up. It was Tuesday's edition, and the picture on the front page depicted the construction site. He had not seen any news crews or reporters anywhere on the scene, but he supposed the image was captured at a distance. The article spoke of the alien, his heroic efforts, and the hunt for the Emerald. For the most part, the article was accurate, even down to the part where Chris risked his own life to get the Emerald. He wondered if the Thorndykes were bombarded with news crews afterward.

After another moment of mindlessly scanning the article, he allowed the wind to take the newspaper from him.

He had not been entirely idle these past five days. He had picked up the faint signal of a distant Chaos Emerald, and moved in the direction he thought it was supposed to be in, but lost track of it. This was yesterday. The expert treasure Hunter that he was, he was determined to pick it up again, but unfortunately, he had no such luck.

Knuckles was a loner by nature, and naturally declined returning to where Sonic was staying. Besides, he could save more time and even cover more ground if he was always out and about. The alley he was in was not overly cozy, but he was only there because it was the safest place to stay away from the humans' curiosity.

His thoughts drifted back to the Master Emerald. How he missed it so. This situation should never have happened. It was all his– no,  _ Eggman's _ fault – he had Amy to thank for making clear this simple point last week. As soon as he got a chance, Eggman would rue the day he sent them to this world.

He thought back to the Chaos Emerald and its unusually erratic nature. This wasn't like the Chaos Emeralds at all. Knuckles knew that this was because the Master Emerald was not sent here like the Emeralds were. He was grateful the Emeralds were even here at all. Otherwise, he would never be able to return to Mobius. He  _ had _ to get back. If Rouge went anywhere  _ near _ the Master Emerald…

Knuckles had not been without food since he last met Sonic and the others. Sonic had been delivering Knuckles meals three times a day from wherever he was staying. How he did that without being called out by Chris's guardians, he didn't know, but he wasn't about to ask questions.

During some of Sonic's visits, the speedster asked if Knuckles was sure he wanted to stay out in the alleys, to which Knuckles replied that it was a lot safer than potentially being exposed to whoever visits the house. Besides, he was getting quite used to the alley. It wasn't like he was a prisoner or anything, for he could just move from spot to spot whenever necessary.

Simply put, he just didn't want to deal with being discriminated against by a civilization who hadn't even seen aliens before. Sure, he nearly jeopardized his anonymity when he fought Missile Wrist, but that was only because the stakes were too high.

Publicity wasn't the only reason he was in hiding. Infamy was another. There was always the chance he would carry a bad reputation on this planet in the form of arrest for espionage or, even worse, experimentation at the hands of this world's humans. Sonic had told him about what had happened to Cream. He would not allow the same to happen to him.

He strained to pick up the scent of another Chaos Emerald, but got nothing. Two days without a single lead, even when he thought he detected one not too long ago. Two days was too long for him. One week was too much time away from Angel Island and the Master Emerald.

He buried his face in his oversized hands. He told himself he was not a colossal failure. It wasn't his fault. He would not cry. He was the last of his kind, the sole guardian of the Master Emerald. Guardians don't cry.

He shook his head slightly, and was about to stand up when he became aware of soft footsteps on the wet concrete uncomfortably close behind him. He had let his guard down. Now he was caught.

Upon turning around, he was both relieved and mildly surprised to see that it was Dr. Eggman. His courier robot Bokkun floated beside him.

"How did you find me?" Knuckles calmly demanded.

The doctor shrugged. "I have my ways," he answered nonchalantly.

Knuckles was not impressed. "What do you want?"

"Knuckles," Eggman began as he sat down next to the echidna. "I understand we're both in the same boat, with no foreseeable way to return to Mobius without gathering all seven Chaos Emeralds. But is it just me, or has it occurred to you also that the Chaos Emeralds' power isn't being regulated?"

"What's it to you?" Knuckles asked without looking up.

"We've seen what the Chaos Emeralds are really capable of. You and me both. Everything has changed, all because the Master Emerald is not present in this plane of reality. The Emeralds aren't the same anymore. You saw what went down earlier this week. The Emerald was far more erratic and destructive than it's ever been observed to be."

"Yeah, I've also noticed that," Knuckles nodded. He wondered what Eggman was getting at.

"Yes, okay. But I've also made another observation, another negative element the Emeralds now possess."

Knuckles perked up. "And that is…?"

"They're beginning to influence emotional changes in the slightest degree as well."

"What, really?"

"Yes. Have you observed the change in Sonic's personality since he has landed on Earth?"

"So?"

"I've been watching him closely this past week, ever since he took the Chaos Emerald." He said that last bit with a little malice. "He's been going on a daily run, taking different routes each time."

Knuckles shook his head. "That's just Sonic being Sonic. There's no–"

"No, you don't get it, Knuckles. When he was close to me during last week's battle, he had a look akin to manic on his face – barely noticeable, but still enough to tell that he might have a screw loose."

"I'm not buying this."

"Knuckles, this is a disposition he doesn't dare show his friends. Like I said, it's barely noticeable, but I caught a glimpse of him last week, and I immediately knew something was wrong. Plus, the way he went after my robot seemed unnatural. He doesn't just repeatedly attack a force field knowing it's there."

"That may seem plausible, Eggman, but how do you know it wasn't just that one day?"

"What, you don't think Sonic goes on a run without my spy bots keeping tabs on him? Why, just this morning, I caught him with that same look."

"Really."

"You know how powerful the Chaos Emeralds are, Knuckles. You and I both know they can be influenced by emotion, whether it be positive or negative. But without the Master Emerald's presence, the discharge rate is much higher, causing not only the carnage that happened earlier this week, but also a release of their emotional charge. _They_ are the ones influencing emotion now."

"If this is true," Knuckles said, "then something needs to be done. I don't think the Chaos Emeralds have ever been away from the Master Emerald for this long."

"I know," replied Eggman as he stroked his overgrown mustache. "According to a study I ran yesterday, further exposure to the Chaos Emeralds in their current state will increase the negative emotion over time and eventually lead to insanity. Already these effects are happening, and if nothing is done before long, Sonic and his friends will fully descend into insanity and use the Chaos Emeralds for their own selfish purposes. Then we will never return to Mobius!"

"His friends also?" Knuckles queried. "I thought only Sonic could channel the–"

"It would seem it affects all Mobians, and Mobians only. Your human friends will not be affected directly."

Knuckles took some time to think this over. "Why are you telling  _ me _ about this?"

Eggman crossed his arms. "Because this is where you come in. You're going to personally knock some sense into Sonic. I'll let you choose the location, time, and terms of your fight within reason."

"Hm…" Knuckles thought this over before looking up. "I like the sound of that. So, how do I get the message through? I can't exactly just stroll up to him and demand a fight right then and there."

"Of course not; that's foolhardy," Eggman responded before turning to Bokkun. "Bokkun, get the TV ready."

Bokkun wordlessly pulled one of his yellow televisions from the bag he always carried and switched it on.

"Just speak your message into the built-in microphone here, and tell me when you're done," instructed Eggman. "It will be delivered tomorrow morning."

Knuckles nodded, and Bokkun pressed record.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion – Sun August 28; 11:18 AM – Chris' POV**

"Please hide if anyone comes who is not me or Grandpa," I told Amy and Cream.

We were in the living room, and the two girls and Cheese were seated on the couch with the TV on. They were allowed to be downstairs as long as they were quiet. Tanaka was doing yard work outside, such as pruning the hedges, and Ella was upstairs doing detailed cleaning of all the rooms. Knowing them, they would be at their jobs for a while. I knew Amy and Cream couldn't stay for long, as chances were my guardians could come unexpectedly.

"Okay," Amy agreed. "But where do we hide?"

"Uh…" I scanned the room before spotting a suitable location. "I think behind the couch over there should be fine."

The two of them nodded. Cream quietly yawned as I left the house and headed toward the garage to check on Grandpa and Tails. It was a lazy day, and I didn't have much to do. I wasn't worried about Sonic getting caught; he was resting up on the balcony right now, and could easily warn Amy and Cream about the possibility of Tanaka entering the house.

I pulled open the door to the garage, and stepped inside. Ascending the stairs and pushing open the trap door, I spotted Grandpa and Tails in the lab. Both appeared to be hovering around the Chaos Emerald, which was being stored inside a large cylindrical chamber I had never seen before.

"What's up, Chris?" Grandpa asked me.

"Just coming up to say hi," I replied. Noticing the Chaos Emerald and the chamber it was stored in, I asked, "Is the Chaos Emerald still stable?"

Tails nodded. "It is. Grandpa and I built this last night to help prevent its power from going haywire." He smiled up at Grandpa. I found it weirdly fascinating that Tails, who was in no way related to my grandfather, a well-renowned man of science, casually addressed him as Grandpa. They were becoming very fond of one another.

The stabilizer resembled a furnace to some degree. There was a door on the front with a glass panel and keypad for entering a four-digit passcode. Inside were slots for each of the seven Chaos Emeralds, arranged in a hexagonal shape.

"Grandpa, did your own study of the Chaos Emerald reveal anything?"

He shook his head. "No, I couldn't get any more information than my last test. Just like before, all the readings were off the charts. Last time I tested it, the Emerald had a meltdown that nearly cost me my computer."

I blinked. "It did?"

"Yeah. You were at school when it happened, Chris," Tails added. "There was Chaos energy flying everywhere, and it could have easily hit someone. Good thing you weren't here."

"…Wow… Uh, were you guys okay?"

"We hit the deck," Grandpa said. "It finally died down about two minutes later, I think. Had to grab Tails' tablet; it could've fried."

"That's exactly why we built this chamber," continued Tails. "So far, it's working perfectly."

"Good to know," Grandpa said. "From now on, all further analysis of the Chaos Emerald is to be done with the Emerald inside the chamber."

I was thoughtful for a moment. "I can't believe it's already been six days since we found the Emerald."

"I know," Grandpa responded before turning to Tails. "Have you detected any more Chaos Emeralds nearby?" he asked.

Tails shook his head. "Like I said, they're not easy to find. Sometimes we go for weeks without finding one."

Just then there was a knock on the trap door.

Oh no.

Ella.

We had to act fast, or she would see Tails.

Another thought hit me just then. What if she already saw Amy and Cream? Did they manage to hide in time?!

"I need to clean your laboratory, Professor Thorndyke!" the maid called from beneath the door. "Two weeks is much too long to go without a proper cleaning."

"Give me a minute, Ella!" Grandpa called.

The sudden situational change made Tails flustered. "Where? Where do I go? What do I do?"

"Stuffed animal!" I blurted the first thing on my mind. Fortunately Tails got the drift and limply flopped onto one of the beanbags. That was one problem down.

"How are we gonna tell her about the…  _ this _ ?" I gestured to the chamber, just as flustered as Tails was.

"I-I'll figure something out!" promised Grandpa as he moved toward the trap door. I glanced at Tails, who was starting to sweat. I had never seen sweat and fur combined, but hey, there was a first time for everything.

Grandpa lifted the wooden trap door, and Ella entered the lab with her cordless Dyson.

"Oh, this  _ definitely _ needs cleaning," she mused as she turned on the vacuum and got to work. "It's about  _ time _ you let me vacuum."

Ella was like a second mother to me when Mom was away on business. But that's not what I was thinking.

I could have bit my fingernails as Ella was close enough for Tails to touch her.

Then her eyes met his.

Sure, it was to be expected, but I began blushing furiously, thinking our secret was out. Talk about hiding in plain sight. At least Ella didn't reach out and touch it.

"I don't believe I've seen this plush toy before," Ella remarked. "Where did you get it?"

"Uh.…" I was at a loss for words. Fortunately Grandpa intervened just in time.

"I-It's a present delivered to the wrong address," he smoothly told Ella. Fortunately, she seemed to have bought into the lie.

"It's adorable," Ella remarked, while somehow completely missing the fact that Tails had two tails. "Whoever it's going to will be very lucky to receive it, no?"

"If you don't mind, we'll leave you to your work, Ella," Grandpa announced, picking up Tails, who was sweating profusely. "We'll resend this gift to the post office so it can be mailed to its rightful owner."

"All right," responded Ella as I opened the trap door. Grandpa went downstairs first, then me. I shut the door behind us. Whew. That was a close one.

Grandpa led the way as we stole out of the garage. He grunted a little as he pushed the door open.

"Is he too heavy for you?" I asked as we began to cut through the yard.

"Nah, not at all," Grandpa responded with a half-hearted chuckle as he repositioned Tails over his shoulder. "He's only like forty-something pounds."

"Forty-four," Tails whispered.

We reached the mansion's side door, and I ran ahead and opened it for Grandpa. Amy and Cream ran over, eager to tell us something.

"I just saw on the news," Amy began. "They think they found another one at Silver Valley, wherever that is!"

"Another what?" Grandpa asked, lowering Tails to the ground.

"Chaos Emerald!" Cream clarified. Cheese chirped his own little reply, but Cream motioned for him to be a little quieter.

"That's great!" Grandpa said. "I'll get ready to drive us all over in just a few minutes."

Just then the sound of footsteps could be heard. Not again…

"Quick, hide!" he urged as he left to approach the source of the footsteps.

Tails, Amy, and Cream instinctively dashed out of the room and into the kitchen the moment Mr. Tanaka walked in. The home's cordless phone was in his hand.

"Mr. Alexander Pell wishes to speak with you, Professor Thorndyke," he announced.

"I need to take this," Grandpa told me as he took the phone. "I'll be right back."

Grandpa and Mr. Tanaka both left the room. I followed my friends into the kitchen just as my friends were apprehensively creeping back into the room.

"Coast is clear," I said. "Amy, Cream, did you manage to hide in time before?"

Both nodded. Good to know.

"What about you, Tails? Did you manage to hide from Ella?" Amy asked.

Tails blushed a little, rubbing his arm. "Yeah, even though I had to hide in plain sight. Chris told me to act like a stuffed animal."

"It was close," I added.

"Anyway, Amy," Tails said, changing the subject to something more comfortable, "did the news report say if anyone claimed to have seen the Chaos Emerald itself?"

"No," she responded. "All they said was gadgets were shut down and traffic was backed up in Cantonville."

"That  _ is _ strange..." mused Tails.

"We just need to wait for Grandpa before we can go," I reminded them. "He's on the phone with a scientist friend of his."

"Silver Valley looks like a beautiful place," remarked Cream.

"It sure does," agreed Amy. "It has the beautiful hills, forest, and crystal-clear lake."

"Maybe we can bring a picnic there with us!" Cream announced.

"Great idea!" Amy beamed. "It will definitely be worth the trip!"

Tails wasn't as enthusiastic though. "I thought we were just going for the Emerald…"

"Come on, Tails!" Amy said. "Lighten up a little! We can make a day trip out of it!"

"I… guess we could," admitted Tails. "Actually, now that you mention it, I don't see why not. We can finally explore some more of this planet."

"That's the spirit!" Amy encouraged.

Just then we heard more footsteps. I was making the motions to shoo my three friends from the room, but they were already way ahead of me.

"It's just me," Grandpa assured us as he entered the kitchen. The three skittish friends returned to the kitchen now that the imminent danger was over.

"What did Professor Pell say?" I asked.

"He wants to meet with me and talk about one of his projects in an hour. Unfortunately, this means I can't drive you to Silver Valley like I said."

A crestfallen silence fell across the room. I knew that if we couldn't go to Silver Valley, we would risk losing the Chaos Emerald to Dr. Eggman, and we certainly couldn't have that. So far, Eggman didn't have any Emeralds, and we wanted it to stay that way.

" _ But, _ " he continued, "I assure you I will still try to send you to your destination today."

"How?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

Grandpa pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed me a few bills. "This should pay for a train ticket to Cantonville. It's the closest town to Silver Valley."

My spirits were lifted a little, but a question still remained unanswered. "Uh… aren't I too young to go on a train on my own?"

"Don't worry about it," Grandpa reassured. "Your status as a celebrity should give you the clearance you need." Being a Thorndyke really had its advantages.

"But what about them? How will they get there?" I brought up.

"Hm… I'm sorry, I can't think of anything right now," he thought. "I'm sure you all will figure something out. Now I need to get ready to prepare for Professor Pell's visit. There's so much to talk about and very little time to prepare for it all."

As Grandpa left, I wondered if the stuffed animal trick would work again. But there was no way on this green earth that I could carry three Mobians and a Chao onto the train. Grandpa wasn't dismissive of us; he was just pressed for time and knew they couldn't all act limp.

Wait a minute…

"Okay, Amy and I are taking the Tornado," Tails decided, reading my mind.

Suddenly, it didn't seem like a good idea.

"But wait, that would mean Cream and Cheese would have to come with me on the train," I added.

"What's wrong with that?" Amy asked, before realizing my point. "Ohh, yeah, that's a bad idea. I don't know how long they would be able to hold the act."

"What act?" Cream asked.

"Acting like a stuffed animal," I explained. Cream nodded, but she still seemed a little confused. "You would have to sit or lie completely still, not move a muscle, and not eve"n blink. And I would have to carry you.

"Oh…" Cream understood, her big hazel eyes wide. "Okay…"

"Oh, I know!" exclaimed Amy. "I can go with Chris, which means Cream can go with Tails."

"That's a good idea," Tails agreed.

"About the picnic, I'll see if I can find the picnic basket…" I opened the pantry door. It didn't take me long to find the large wicker basket with the checkered picnic mat inside. I took it out and set it on the counter.

"All right. Tails and Cream, can you load these with the sandwiches in the fridge? I think each of us can have two, so eight total."

"Okay," Tails agreed as he and Cream headed toward the fridge.

"In the meantime, we'll head to the train station," Amy said. "See you there!"

"Bye-bye!" Cream waved.

"Be careful; you don't know how they might treat you both on the train," Tails cautioned.

"O-Okay…" I responded. Now that was a special kind of nightmare I had to look forward to…

I led Amy to the side door, and we both walked out. We had barely taken a few steps through the yard when we heard Sonic's voice from above us.

"Where are you going?" he called from the balcony railing. I turned to him, and he looked to me like he didn't sleep much last night.

"Oh, just up to Silver Valley for a picnic," Amy casually replied. So what if we kept the Chaos Emerald part secret from him?

Sonic smirked. "I get the feeling there's a bit more to your escapade than that."

"And there's also a Chaos Emerald."

"Really?" He yawned. "I'd go with you, but I had a mondo late night bustin' up a couple of Eggman's 'bots."

"What happened?" Amy inquired.

"Eggman was pretty mad about the whole Chaos Emerald thing from last week – guy's got a pretty good grudge going on. He sent out a scouting party to search for more. I think they might have nearly picked up a signal, but being the party crasher that I am, I trashed those bots before they could relay their signal back to Eggman."

"Oh, okay," Amy replied. "Get some rest. We'll take care of this!"

I think Amy was excited that she was about to go on an adventure and get an Emerald for Sonic when he wasn't able to. She was, after all, his girlfriend, despite his protests. I kinda tended to stay out of their thing.

"Wait, it's just you two going?" Sonic asked, sort of surprised.

"Oh no, no," I answered. "Tails and Cream are coming too."

"Thought so," he replied. "You know how much Tails doesn't want to miss out on a good hunt. Well, good luck out there."

Fortunately, I knew the train station was roughly a mile and half away from our house, so it wouldn't take us terribly long to get there.

* * *

**A train – Sun August 28; 11:55 AM – Chris' POV**

Not too long afterward, I found myself boarding the train to Cantonville, having purchased a ticket with the money Grandpa gave me. I was having some difficulty carrying Amy over my left shoulder. Earlier I had been reluctant to do so, since I held great respect for girls, but Amy assured me it would be all right, and it would just be for this train ride.

Now I had a difficult time carrying her  _ and _ walking at the same time. I had to readjust her a few times, and I nearly stumbled into the sides of the seats. A couple people offered to help, but I declined; I didn't want her to be handled by anyone else besides me.

At last, I managed to find a vacant seat and sat down. After showing my ticket to the conductor, we were finally off for Cantonville.

We had been drawing stares from the moment we boarded the train. To say that I was embarrassed was quite the understatement. Mortified was more like it. The people were making comments I would never make of anyone else.

"Wow, look at how big it is."

"Where do they sell them?"

"Is that Lindsey Fair's son?"

"What does he need a stuffed animal for?"

I felt myself becoming increasingly red in the face with embarrassment. I wanted to look at my phone for the entire duration of the trip, but if I did, I would probably let my guard down. Fortunately, Amy was close enough to me so that we could communicate at a whisper.

"They're staring…" I whispered, finding it somewhat hard to do so. "What do I do?"

"Tell them something they'll want to hear," she replied. I was confused at what she meant at first, but discreetly put a finger to my lips and nodded.

"Isn't he a little old for stuffed animals?" I overheard a teen say. I wisely held back a retort.

"Uh, I'm just… Well, I'm, uh, personally giving this plush to a friend who lives up in Cantonville. No big deal."

That seemed to settle with the nearest few people, for they nodded and continued about their activities. While I didn't feel like I was in the spotlight that much anymore, it didn't do much to help my case.

"Chris, I need to blink," Amy whispered.

I carefully turned Amy so that she faced out the window. A few rude people even had the nerve to take pictures. I sighed, knowing I had to endure this torture for the entire duration of the twenty-five minute journey to Cantonville. It was a small price to pay for the Chaos Emerald, which, in the end, made this whole trip worth it.

* * *

**Cantonville – Sun August 28; 12:19 PM – TIME SKIP.**

Getting off the train and away from the station was probably more taxing on my nerves than boarding it. For one, there were new, unfamiliar people at the station staring at us, as if their phones weren't entertaining enough. For another, the people I had already become familiar with would not stop staring. They must have thought that I, Christopher Thorndyke, the only son of a billionaire businessman and a Hollywood actress, was addicted to stuffed animals like Linus was to his blanket.

I was incredibly relieved when we were finally a good distance away from the Cantonville station, where I could put down Amy, who had been slung over my shoulder again. I massaged my aching shoulder as I looked around for more unwanted attention.

"I… think we're safe now," I almost whispered.

"Are you okay?" Amy tenderly asked.

"I'm fine now," I answered as we got a move on again. "To be honest, it was kinda embarrassing. What about you?"

"All things considered, it wasn't so bad," she replied, to my surprise. "Even though I have to say, acting like a stuffed animal is a first for me. That was a clever tactic you came up with back in the lab."

"Heheh, thanks. It was the first thing I thought of when I heard Ella coming."

"Well, it was still a really good idea."

I looked around the part of Cantonville we were in. The path to Silver Valley and the Chaos Emerald was now within sight. If everything went our way, we would be two steps ahead of Dr. Eggman.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Outside – Sun August 28; 1:00 PM – Sonic's POV**

Talk about a mondo rude awakening.

I was lying on the railing of the front porch, trying to catch a few Z's, and the next thing I knew, there was a finger digging into my ribs.

The moment I opened my eyes, I almost audibly groaned. Eggman's messenger robot Bokkun was standing on the railing in front of me. He was holding an all-too-familiar yellow television.

"Hey, can't a hedgehog catch some Z's?" I mumbled. "I'm way past beat after last night."

"I'll bet," Bokkun said. "Dr. Eggman's really mad about that Chaos Emerald." He smiled a mischievous smile as he usually did. "Anyway, you've probably guessed that I've got a message for you."

I sighed. Of course. Why else would this annoying robot be here.

"What does the doc want this time?"

"Actually, it's  _ not _ him this time. Surprised?"

"O-kay…" I responded, tapping my chin. "Then who is it?"

"Take a guess," Bokkun pressed. "It's not as much fun if I just tell you who it is."

"I hate these guessing games," I grumbled as I sat up. "Hmm… Knuckles."

"Wait, wha… How'd you know that?!" Bokkun exclaimed in shock.

"You just leaned on the play button by mistake," I pointed out. Bokkun nearly panicked as the screen showed its image prematurely. Sure enough, Knuckles was on the screen. He was in a dark alley of some sort, and he was not happy.

"Oops!" Bokkun realized his mistake and rewound the clip back to the beginning before pausing. I couldn't make out anything Knuckles was saying over our commotion, but it was a bit loud, uncomfortably so given our sworn secrecy from the humans.

"And can you turn it down a bit?" I requested. "The folks inside can't know we're here yet."

Bokkun cocked a brow. "Why not?" he asked in curiosity.

"I've got my reasons," I shrugged. No way would this kid understand that I didn't want Tanaka and Ella discovering my presence as much as Chris did. "Just go ahead and roll the tape." The sooner we got this over with, the better.

The mischief maker reached down and turned down the volume before pressing the play button. Knuckles once again appeared on the small screen.

"I know the truth," he growled in a dangerously low voice. "I now know the full extent of the Chaos Emeralds' power given the absence of the Master Emerald. You aren't really controlling them. In fact,  _ they _ are now controlling  _ you _ . They are driving you to the point of insanity, to the point that you're going to prevent us from going home!"

I blinked. Many questions went through my head. Last I checked, the Chaos Emeralds couldn't influence emotions; in fact, it was the other way around. More importantly, how did Bokkun record Knuckles? Maybe Eggman was involved.

But Knuckles wasn't done.

"Don't believe me? Then meet me at 12:30 sharp at Silver Valley and we'll have a  _ talk _ ."

Silver Valley? That had to be more than a coincidence. Besides, I didn't like the way he pronounced that last word as the video ended.

"Uh, what time is it?" I asked.

Bokkun checked the time on the TV. "Oh, looks like you're already a few minutes late. Chop chop," he urged. "Oh, and you can keep this!"

He set the TV down on the railing and started to fly away. The time showed that it was fast approaching one. As it began to tick, I knew exactly what was going to happen. These TVs were set to explode as a joke. Not that I thought it was funny, though.

I immediately sat up, grabbed the TV, and vaulted myself off the deck, kicking the TV further into the air. Not a moment too soon, for it burst the moment after I kicked it. Bokkun turned to me and saw that I was completely unfazed.

"I can't fool you, can I?" he stated, his surprised look changing into a determined grin. "Next time!" he vowed before flying away. QWith Bokkun, I was more than willing to bet that there would be a next time.

_ Looks like the nap is gonna have to wait, _ I thought as I ran in the direction of Silver Valley. If that was where Amy, Cream, Tails, and Chris went, then they were bound to get in trouble. I knew I had to make sure they were okay just as soon as I settled things with Knuckles.

* * *

**Silver Valley – Sun August 28; 12:30 PM – Chris' POV**

With all the beauty Silver Valley held, I was surprised it wasn't a state park yet. I could tell Amy was amazed at all the scenery, for I didn't notice until we were three minutes past the entrance to the park that I was well ahead of her.

I could see it's iconic lake ahead of us – it appeared to be about a mile long and a quarter mile wide. It reflected its natural surroundings off of its pristine crystal clear surface.

"Looks like Tails and Cream already set up the picnic," I noted as I spotted the now-familiar form of the Tornado about eighty yards from the edge of the lake.

"They must have been here a while," Amy replied, before a mischievous gleam appeared in her eye. "Race you there!"

"You're on!"

Excited, Amy ran toward the lake, and I followed suit. Looking around, I found it a little odd that we were the only ones here. I mean, it was a beautiful Sunday, clearing clouds – couldn't have picked a better day to come here, right?

These thoughts were pushed to the back of my head as we approached the picnic site. It was set up about thirty feet from the water's edge. Tails and Cream smiled as we arrived.

"Great timing," commented Tails as we sat down with them. "We've just finished setting up."

I must have still been blushing a little from what went down on the train, for Tails asked, "How was the train ride?"

"Well, uh… it was… interesting…" I recalled, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks once again. "Everyone kept staring. Some people even took pictures."

Tails' eyes widened. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. We really didn't have any other choice."

"At least we all made it here," Cream commented. Sonic's confidence seemed to be rubbing off on her.

Tails and Cream were lucky they got to ride in the Tornado. They didn't have to worry about anyone staring at them from mere feet away. They only had to worry about the Station Square residents wondering why a biplane that small was flying that low over a planned community.

I had to admit, it felt strange being out and about with people other than my family or family friends. Whenever I left the house for reasons other than school, it was usually for some kind of social event, such as a seminar Dad would hold sometimes.

Today, though, I got to have an outing all by myself! Well, as a human, that is. I was in the company of three aliens, roughly my age and younger, and we were able to have lunch together! Grandpa and Sonic must have trusted us to take care of ourselves. Besides, Tails and Amy seemed quite mature for their ages, but at the same time acting their ages. Grandpa found that quite perplexing.

We dug into the sandwiches that Ella had premade. There were two apiece, and there was also orange juice and water for us. I don't like to complain, but the sandwiches would probably have been a little fresher if Ella knew about our situation. However, I couldn't risk having her discover my friends now.

"Thanks for telling us about the stuffed animal act," Amy said to Tails. "It really came in handy on the train."

"I know," nodded Tails around a mouthful of sandwich. He swallowed before continuing, "But I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold out. I mean, it worked this time. Next time might be different."

"You're right," responded Amy. "Sooner or later, the whole country will know we're here, like it or not."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I admitted.

"Hey, look on the bright side," encouraged the fox seated at my left. "At least your country's government isn't after us right now."

"That could change at any time," I replied. "Actually, they kinda  _ are _ after you guys! Remember GUN last week?"

"Oh, they didn't know it too well back then," Amy said. "Just give them a little more time. Then they'll see us as the heroes that we are and stop coming after us, and the people will get used to us being around here."

"…I'm not sure how that's going to work smoothly…" I thought aloud.

"Mr. Tails, did you bring your Chaos Energy detector?" Cream brought up.

Realization spread across Tails' face as he became flustered. "Ah, I completely forgot about it! Even if I did remember, I couldn't go back to get it anyway because Ella was working in the lab."

"Well, this is gonna be a challenge…" admitted Amy.

Tails had also built a portable Chaos energy detector that could detect a Chaos Emerald within a short range. The hexagonal device was fully portable, albeit cumbersome, as it had a small satellite dish that Tails was trying to make less fragile.

By this point, we were already nearly finished lunch. I reached into my right pocket for my phone.

"You know something?" I realized. "If there's a Chaos Emerald here, where is everybody? Like, there is  _ literally _ no one here right now."

"You read my mind," Amy seconded. "Isn't this supposed to be a state park or something?"

"It isn't yet," I replied as I unlocked my phone to check the time.

…Except for the part where I couldn't. My phone screen wouldn't turn on, no matter how many times I pressed the button. I was sure I had charged it this morning.

Tails leaned toward me slightly. "Is something wrong with your phone?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's not turning on." I sighed. "I really hope this isn't one of the Chaos Emerald's side effects."

"It shouldn't be," replied Tails. "I've never seen the Chaos Emeralds have such adverse effects. Whatever it is, I'll take a look at it when we get back to your place." I nodded.

A few minutes later, lunch was finished, and we were putting all the picnic supplies back in the basket.

"All right, I guess we'll start looking for the Emerald in a few," Tails announced.

"Miss Amy?" Cream turned to the pink hedgehog next to her. "Is it okay if I take a nap?"

Amy nodded. "Did the nightmare keep you up last night?" she asked tenderly.

"Mhm," Cream quietly admitted.

"Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. Here, I can get you settled down…"

"She can sleep next to the Tornado," said Tails, "and maybe she can use the picnic blanket too."

"Let's do that," agreed Amy as she pulled the blanket from the basket.

"Uh, what are you guys going to use as a pillow?" I realized. The others looked as confused as I did. Looking around, we saw nothing that could serve as a pillow. Then I got an idea.

"What if we use the folded picnic blanket as a pillow? It's warm enough out here that we don't really need a blanket."

"I like that idea," Amy agreed. Good thing she didn't unfold the blanket yet. "I'll be right with you two as soon as I get Cream settled down. Come on, Cream."

As Amy and Cream headed back toward the Tornado, I turned to look at the lake. It was beautiful. I would even say it sparkled. No wonder it bore the name Platinum Lake.

After a moment of silence, Tails turned to me. "How much do you want to bet the Chaos Emerald's in the lake?" he asked.

Oh no.

"I didn't even think to bring my swim gear!" I groaned.

"It's fine," assured Tails as he started toward the edge of the lake. "I can go down myself and look for the Emerald."

I raised my eyebrows. "You can swim?" I asked.

"Sure," Tails nodded. "So can Amy and Cream and Knuckles. For whatever reason, Sonic can't swim. I think Labyrinth Zone did it for him." I nodded, even though I had no idea what he was talking about.

Another few seconds passed as we gazed across the water. Tails turned to me.

"Have you ever been here before, Chris?" he asked.

"Yeah…" I said. "Four years ago… that was when I last met my cousin."

"You have a cousin?"

I nodded. "His name is Matt," I said, feeling nostalgic. "He had to leave for college, but before he left, we threw a big goodbye party here. I didn't see him much, and we don't live in the same house, but… he was kind of like a brother I wish I had."

"Ah," Tails said, pondering this. "If you don't mind, I'm just going to quickly dive in and scan the lake bed for the Chaos Emerald," he announced before running toward the lake.

"Be careful," I told him as he slowed down and slipped beneath the surface of the crystal-clear lake.

…and he didn't even stop to remove his sneakers or gloves. Did he need to? I had so many questions.

I returned to my thoughts, this time something other than my cousin. If there was a Chaos Emerald, then where was everyone? When the first Emerald was discovered last week, the police  _ did _ warn the people to stay clear of it, as they didn't know what it could do. No one could have known it could throw construction vehicles through fences or shut down phones, or even cause traffic jams like the one Amy and I took not of on the way here.

I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Amy slowing to a stop.

"Where's Tails?" she asked.

I motioned to the lake. "He just went down to look for the Chaos Emerald. I don't know if it's even down there, but it's worth checking.

Amy wordlessly stared across the lake. I turned to her in curiosity. 

"Amy?" I queried.

"Something isn't right here…" she spoke.

"Wha– What do you mean?" I pressed, thoroughly confused. I looked over the lake myself, but saw nothing.

"I… don't know," Amy stated almost absent-mindedly. "Just… something's not right, and I don't know what it is."

The moment she was saying this, I caught sight of several large bubbles rising and popping about twenty feet out. Tails surfaced at the shore, completely unaware of the giant bubbles behind him. He gulped in a lungful of air.

"I couldn't find it," he called between pants. "And there's something big and metal down there that I'm pretty sure shouldn't be there."

Amy grimly nodded, which brought me more confusion. Apparently she had answered her own question, for she became more determined.

"We're getting out of here," she declared.

She started to back away from the lake as I dumbly stood there, having no clue what was going on. Tails got out of the water and carefully shook the water out of his fur. The bubbles started getting larger.

"Chris, run," Amy urged, fear etching its way into her voice. So something under the water was causing it to churn the way it did. Three cheers for ladies' intuition.

But just as I started to run for my life, the water exploded behind us. And I mean  _ exploded _ , as if an underwater bomb had gone off.

Turning back to look, we saw that the water was shooting up a good hundred feet. It was so powerful that we felt some Misty spray on our faces. The suddenness of the event, coupled with the noise, made my heart pound.

And then I saw what caused it.

I was rooted to the spot in sheer fascination and terror as a giant metal object rose from the water, apparently the same one Tails saw. It was definitely a robot, but it was the biggest robot I had ever seen. It had two giant legs, a giant glass cylinder for its body, and two giant shovels for arms.

"Noooo!" Amy exclaimed as she backed away from the robot.

"Amy, run!" shouted Tails as he desperately tried to escape the robot, as he was unfortunately the closest to it.

I caught sight of a petrified Cream near the Tornado. Poor thing couldn't get any sleep.

"Cream, run now!" Tails demanded.

Immediately the little rabbit got up, scooped up Cheese, and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, her Chao right behind her.

Suddenly a bright blue beam of energy shot out of the singular eye of the robot and struck us. But instead of vaporizing us, it was surrounding me, Tails, and Amy, and was slowly drawing us to a spot in front of the robot. I started to get scared.  _ Really _ scared.

"W-What's happening?!" I panicked. Tails said something, but I think that the beam did something so that we couldn't hear a word we were saying. In fact, I don't think even  _ I _ could hear me.

Thirty terrifying seconds later, the beam finally set us down on the shore close to the water. The robot raised one of its arms, which was most definitely a digging hoe, and lowered it toward us. The thing was  _ huge _ , able to probably hold a dozen prisoners at max capacity. It embedded itself in the ground before scooping us high into the air, maybe fifty feet. The light surrounding us started to die down. I tried to feel the air above the shovel in a desperate attempt to escape, but there was only an invisible barrier. Even if I could escape, I would risk smashing my head on part of the robot or the ocean floor.

Meanwhile, a hatch in the robot's body opened, and the shovel moved toward it. Before I knew it, the shovel tipped us toward the opening and dumped us inside the cylinder, dirt and all. I landed roughly on my bottom and elbows. Tails landed on his stomach, and Amy landed in a near-sitting position against the center of the chamber. Before we could even move, the hatch slammed shut and sealed itself with a deafening echo that reverberated around the chamber.

The three of us sat there in fear, loose dirt all over us, breathing heavily. None of us spoke for what felt like several minutes. I felt bruised all over, and knew that Tails and Amy probably felt the same. At least I wasn't cut anywhere that I knew of.

Why did this have to happen? This was a beautiful day, and all we came here to do was get the Chaos Emerald, have a picnic, maybe enjoy the scenery for a little while, and head back home. But now we fell for a death trap, most likely set up by Dr. Eggman. It was terrifying in every way possible. The air already felt tight, and I knew it would eventually feel stale.

As I sat there, I surveyed the chamber we were trapped in. We were surrounded by a cylindrical sheet of glass on all sides. I quickly judged that it wasn't ordinary glass. It had to be very strong, like Plexiglas. I couldn't see the ground directly beneath us from where we were, but I knew that we were over water, and the shore was about twenty to thirty feet away. The ceiling appeared to be made of metal like the rest of the robot. There were a few dim lights up there, and there also seemed to be some other electronic devices as well. The center of the robot was made entirely of metal, and I could only assume there were a few maintenance panels here and there.

I was too scared to move. I didn't want to move, yet I knew there had to be some way out. I mustered up the courage to speak.

"Wh… what happened?"

My wavering voice echoed throughout the chamber in a foreboding manner. This was something out of a thriller on overdrive. It actually made me afraid to speak aloud.

"This… This is a Citadel…" Amy whispered after a moment. I figured whispering would be better so we wouldn't scare ourselves with our own reflected voices. "I never thought I would ever be inside one ever…"

"A Citadel," I repeated in an equally hushed tone.

Tails nodded. "They were used during the war a year ago." I would have wanted to hear more about the war, but not now, of course.

"They were used to capture the citizens of villages and ship them up to a space station called the Death Egg so that they… so that they could be turned into… robots," Amy continued in a shaky voice, as if speaking to herself out of awe. What she said really frightened me down to my core. "…I thought we destroyed them all…"

Tails noticed my terrified expression and turned to Amy. "Let's not bring that up now," he quietly advised. "I know we're scared too, but it's clear he hasn't been through anything like this."

Amy nodded, and Tails crawled over and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "We'll get out of here, Chris. One way or another…"

Was this Citadel, or whatever it was called, really mass-produced back then? Well, maybe not  _ mass _ -produced, but enough to cause lasting damage to property and innocent lives alike. I couldn't wait to get out of here, to be  _ free _ again. My fear was starting to subside somewhat, but I was still very much afraid.

"Do you think Sonic will find out about this?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course," nodded Tails. "Like I said, he's got a sixth sense for danger. He'll know what happened to us and–"

Suddenly a near-deafening boom reverberated through the chamber, causing me to nearly leap out of my skin. My heart must have been running a marathon in my chest. Tails was equally as surprised, evident by his suddenly clasping both hands over his heart. We turned to see Amy. It wasn't her that scared me, it was this giant hammer she was holding. I was  _ sure _ it wasn't here when we arrived. The red and yellow hammer was  _ huge _ , about as big as she was. In fact, the head of the hammer alone was about as large as her own head, if not larger!

"Guess that didn't work," she muttered to herself. She (somehow) made her hammer disappear before turning to us. "Oh no, did I scare you? I'm so sorry! I should have told you first!" she exclaimed in apology.

Tails still had his hands over his heart. "It's okay, Amy…" he whispered. "But please don't make any sudden noises; we're already on edge as it is."

The bruises started to hurt, and I knew I would feel them in the morning. Tails started to stand up.

"Did Cream escape?" I whispered. Amy carefully peered out the window, scanning the coastline and the rest of the valley, before turning back to me.

"I don't see her anywhere," she answered, "so I'm hoping she did."

Just then we heard insane cackling coming from… where? It sounded like it was coming from the center of the robot that I was leaning against. And yet we could clearly see Dr. Eggman descending in his Eggmobile outside.

"Looks like my trick worked perfectly," he announced gleefully. "I was counting on you being here, human. Do you think risking your own neck was worth stealing from a grown-up?!"

If you thought I was scared before… well, that was nothing. The way his voice boomed in the chamber made him sound much more intimidating and scarier than I had ever known him.

Anger set in, and I stood up to face the mad doctor.

…Who did I think I was kidding; I couldn't even intimidate a fly…

"Leave him out of this!" demanded Amy.

But Eggman shook his head, amused. "You know, this was going to be a trap set for Sonic, but I ended up getting three for the price of one. Consider this revenge for  _ stealing. _ " He glowered at me. "Also, news flash: there  _ is _ no Chaos Emerald here."

What? So we came here for nothing?

"I had a feeling the moment I saw this robot," Tails stated grimly, showing little surprise.

"Oh, it's not just my last surviving Citadel," Eggman gloated. "It's the slightly modified E-47 Citadel. Now modified as part of the E-Series family of robots, it is far more durable and more powerful than its predecessor!"

If its predecessor had the ability to carry people to space, then I didn't want to know just how much more power this version held. I could feel my fear rising again. I wanted out so badly.

"Gloating aside, Eggman, tell me how you were able to so precisely fake a Chaos Emerald signal," Tails said.

"Actually, I didn't have to do anything that complex," he explained. "All I did was send a small electromagnetic pulse across the town, and sit back and let the press jump to their own conclusions."

Tails' eyes were wide. "…Wow. That's actually pretty ingenious, I'll give you that."

"Why thank you, Miles," Eggman fake-bowed. That was the first time I heard anyone use Tails' real name. "Oh, since I sense boredom in there, you might as well sit back and enjoy the upcoming show I have in store for you."

"Wh-what show?" I dared to ask. Eggman pointed to something way in the distance.

"Do you see Knuckles way over there? Right now, he's waiting for a fight with Sonic."

If there's something anyone should never do, especially villains, it's make a girl mad. In Amy's case, it was manipulating her crush. Grave mistake on Eggman's part.

"Waiting for a– What did you do to Knuckles?!" demanded Amy, her raised voice made more foreboding by its echoing across the chamber. It startled me, to say the least.

"Oh, I just tricked him like always," shrugged Eggman. Just then he turned just in time for us to see a blue streak appear over the horizon. "Oh look, here he comes now!"

Sonic versus Knuckles? This would be interesting…

* * *

**Silver Valley – Sun August 28; 1:03 PM – Sonic's POV**

It took me a quick one-minute jog to get to Silver Valley from Chris' house. As I had been to Silver Valley once before during one of my runs, I knew the quickest route there. I had to see why Knuckles thought he was right about the Chaos Emeralds. The whole thing stunk of Eggman. But I knew I had to settle things with Rad Red first.

Sure enough, Knuckles was standing on top of a plateau, arms crossed, with an impatient expression. He opened his eyes.

"You're late."

I wagged my finger. "Hey, it's not  _ my _ fault Bokkun showed up late. Cut me some slack, Knux!"

"I'm not letting you off that easy," he growled. "I know the truth. You think your positive emotions control the Emeralds, when, in reality  _ they _ are controlling  _ you _ ! This is all on account of the lack of the Master Emerald's guiding presence."

I smirked, amused at what could be a bald-faced lie. "You sure you didn't hit your head too hard after Chaos Control?"

"Oh, speaking of Chaos Control," Knuckles continued, started to get carried away in his rising anger, "... _ you _ are partially responsible for us getting us sent here! If you didn't let Eggman take those Emeralds from you, none of this would have happened!"

Not entirely true, Knuckles…

"Now, for the sake of our sanity, are you going to hand over the Emerald?"

"Sorry, I left it at home," I answered. It was the truth, after all.

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "So help me, I will march over there and get it myself if I have to."

I smirked. "I bet Eggman tricked you again, didn't he?"

"Shut up and fight me, Sonic!" barked the echidna as he clenched his fists.

"If that's the way it's gonna be…" I didn't want to fight Knuckles, as he was my friendly rival, but he was still a rival nonetheless. If Eggman was really behind this – and I was sure of it – then I had to tire Knuckles out and hopefully get  _ him _ to know the truth.

I allowed Knuckles to throw the first punch. Sure enough, it came, and I quickly sidestepped the spiked fist that flew my way. He kept coming at me with more punches where that one came from, but I leaped from rock to rock dodging Knuckles. He even let loose with a flurry of fast jabs and punches, but there was just no stopping me from staying one step ahead of the wild deluded echidna.

"While I love a good wrestling match with ya, Knux, this whole Chaos Emerald thing you told me is just plain crazy," I told him while backflipping out of the way of another quick jab which cut through a rock like a hot knife through butter.

"I  _ live _ with the Emeralds. I know them better than you  _ ever _ will!"

Another charge, another leap out of the way. This game was getting kinda boring fast, not to mention old…

"Oh yeah? Every try going super for once?"

"I don't need to!" he retorted.

I figured it was time to finally land a hit of my own. I attempted a spindash at Knuckles, but he leaped out of the way and attempted to give me another Knuckles sandwich. I still had no idea why he coined that phrase, but whatever. Anyway, he missed that attack and his next few punches and kicks as well.

As I continued to parry his attacks, I noticed something seemed off about him. It was almost as if… he didn't want to fight me. If Eggman was tricking him, and I think this was the case, then maybe he felt as if he had no other choice. He  _ was _ honest to a fault, after all. So I decided to take off toward the nearby cliff and see if there really was a difference in his actions.

"Get back here!" yelled Knuckles as he ran up the hill after me. I leaped to one of the top boughs of a pine tree and looked down at my rival. He still fought and ran the same, but not as much as he would if he were fighting a true enemy. Could it be brainwashing? I quickly ruled that out, as Eggman preferred plain old trickery over brainwashing. Knuckles was that gullible.

At the same time, he had been learning from his mistakes to a degree, so he hadn't been tricked as much as before. In fact, this was the first time he fell for Eggman since… four months ago? …Okay, there was also that one time the day before we were sent here. Guess he still had much to learn.

Before I knew it Knuckles was uprooting the entire tree I was standing on.

"You've been flexing your muscles, Knux," I complimented/teased.

Knuckles, however, was not so impressed. "You should be glad I don't have my shovel claws on me. Otherwise, this would be a painful lesson."

I felt the tree falling, so I decided it was time to abandon ship, er, tree. I landed on the ground and faced Knuckles.

"Hey, I thought you were trying to save me," I recalled.

"I  _ am _ saving you! You just won't listen to me!"

I glanced up just in time to see the tree I had just been standing on falling toward me. Using a stationary spin, I sliced through the bark as it passed around me, so I didn't have to take a step in order to avoid it.

"You're just showing off, aren't you," Knuckles deadpanned.

"I aim to please," I winked before sprinting off.

"Now listen!" he demanded, but I was out of earshot. He punched down tree after tree in just two blows. I was glad none of them were redwoods; they were really tall and could cover a lot of ground if they fell.

"Without the Master Emerald here to keep the Chaos Emeralds under control, the more of them you collect, the further you will descend into insanity! Is that what you want?!"

I dodged more of the falling trees. Knuckles could at least yell "Timber!" before knocking them down. I just hoped there would still be  _ some _ trees left before the day was done.

"You know, that  _ could _ be valid," I stated, "but I don't really feel any negative effects."

"Of course you don't!" Knuckles roared as I ran out onto a fallen tree dangling precariously over the cliff. "You think I'm telling you this just for kicks? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even realize you were becoming insane!"

I realized where I was standing on the tree, and attempted to run back to safety when another falling tree landed on my tree behind me. This caused me to be suddenly catapulted into the air and over the edge of the cliff. I spotted Knuckles leaping from tree to tree to get ahead of me, probably trying to cut me off and deal me an unexpected hit.

I saw the sloped ground coming at me fast, and I curled into a ball, ready to roll down the hill. I hit the ground rolling to break my fall, and I felt myself make impact with Knuckles' hands. My momentum pushed him back against the ground.

"You know, one sign of insanity is denying you even have it," he admonished.

"Didn't know you were into psychology, Knux!" I shouted, even though I didn't know if he could hear me over how fast I was spinning.

One thing I didn't take into account was the fact that there was a brook at the bottom of the hill. To make things worse, Knuckles leaped out of the way, causing me to land right into the water. It wasn't overly deep, but enough to make my fears set in.

"Someone help me! I'm drowning! I can't end like this! I still got places to run!"

Knuckles facepalmed. He didn't know that the struggle was all too real for me.

"Mr. Sonic!"

I recognized that voice immediately. That was Cream calling me. Turning my head to the left, I saw that, sure enough, the young rabbit was running up to me, tears flowing from her eyes. My heart immediately melted for her. Fight with Knuckles aside; I had to find out what was wrong.

"Mr. Sonic, Mr. Knuckles, please stop fighting!" she begged as she helped me out of the water. With the late summer heat, I hoped I would dry off quickly. "Dr. Eggman trapped everyone inside a giant robot!"

Eggman attacked my friends on my watch? I could have been there to protect them.

"Good on him for protecting them from you!" shouted Knuckles. As uncalled for as it was, I didn't think he really meant it. Maybe he was getting carried away with the lie Eggman told him. All the same, Cream looked surprised at his response.

"Thanks, Cream," I said grimly and took off.

I had seriously let my guard down. I had let my own selfish purposes get ahead of me. Even if I was winded from a brief skirmish with Eggman's robots last night, that should not have prevented me from something as simple as looking for a Chaos Emerald.

…Okay, finding Chaos Emeralds wasn't  _ that _ easy, but I still should have gone with them, just to make sure everything was okay. But I didn't.

I knew Eggman was here for the Chaos Emerald, but he imprisoned Chris, Amy, and Tails as well. They were just kids! If Eggman got them, this made me wonder how Cream managed to avoid capture herself. I would have to ask her later.

I was still kicking myself for not coming here. I should never have left the fate of a Chaos Emerald up to chance. But now was not the time to mope. Tightening my hands into fists, I strengthened my resolve and picked up the pace. Robuttnik had to be stopped at all costs.

* * *

**Silver Valley - E-47 Citadel – Sun August 28; 1:03 PM - Chris' POV**

**WARNING BEGINS HERE.**

Sonic and Knuckles' fight took them to the other side of the hill where I couldn't see them anymore. But there were a couple times where we could briefly catch a glimpse of Sonic through the trees. He never looked our way, though.

Why did they have to fight now? Why did they have to fight  _ at all _ ? Didn't either one of them know we were in danger? I knew that escape was impossible if what Eggman, Amy, and Tails said was true. So I thought that maybe it would be possible to get the attention of one of them.

"Can we call them?" I quietly asked. I hated having to whisper, but the heavy reverberation of even the slightest sound in the chamber we were stuck in was really creeping me out.

"You can't," Eggman answered matter-of-factly. My eyes widened. Apparently he could even hear us whispering.

"No one outside can hear you," he continued. "Citadel glass is made of the strongest transparent alloy I have ever created, which means it is completely soundproof. That means no one outside can hear you, and no one outside can communicate with you."

My heart sank. But I had another important question for the doctor.

"Then how can we hear you?"

"Oh, that's because I have a two-way radio installed within the robot, and I've got this headset as well." He motioned to the headset I had just now noticed he was wearing. "But no one else can hear you, so you may as well abandon hope."

I slumped down, dejected. If Sonic or Knuckles couldn't hear us, there was no point in having him come rescue us. The only way one of them could find out about our situation was if they could somehow break up the fight. And I had to wonder: what started the fight to begin with? It had to have been something major enough to pit them against each other. Sonic  _ did _ say that Knuckles was his rival. But why fight now?

I stood up to see if I could spot either of the two fighting Mobians. Nothing. Nothing at all. Though I did spot a few fallen trees here and there, probably from their fight.

"Chris, Amy," Tails whispered to get our attention. I turned to the fox as Amy walked over from the part of the window she was looking out. "See if you can spot that radio Eggman mentioned."

"I heard that."

I did not count on Eggman still listening in on our conversation, let alone being able to hear something above a barely audible whisper. He pressed a button on a remote he had picked up, and the three of us were suddenly electrocuted by the Citadel's floor underneath us. It was not a pleasant situation, but it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Imagine accidentally touching a plugged-in electrical wire. Now imagine that same tingling sensation a little stronger and spreading across your entire body. I cried out, more in surprise than pain.

It only lasted for a full two seconds, but it wore me out quickly and momentarily numbed every voluntary muscle in my body. I staggered and slumped to my hands and knees.

"Chris!" Tails and Amy simultaneously called, completely disregarding the effects of the echoing chamber. They both ran over and, taking one arm each, tried to help me stand back up. They seemed a little weakened by the electrocution themselves, but I took the brunt of it because humans weren't as durable as Mobians.

"That's what will happen if you attempt an escape or do anything else I disapprove of. You know I hate torture, but sometimes physical chastisement is necessary to make you behave."

"Just… let us go," Tails responded, sounding more exasperated than before, as I finished standing up.

"You know, you should be lucky I don't yet have a Roboticizer at my base," Eggman continued, completely ignoring Tails. "I haven't roboticized a human in a long time, and I have yet to roboticized one from this planet. There's a first time for everything, I suppose!"

Eggman was sick. Not only did he have the nerve to soft-core torture us (even though he openly admitted he hates it, but I had my doubts), but he planned to roboticize us. I had no idea what roboticization was, but it wasn't hard to guess; judging by what Amy said about the Citadel during the war, I assumed he wanted to turn us into robots. I couldn't imagine having no life besides that of serving Eggman forever. Now I knew how truly evil this madman was.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tails head to the opposite side of the Citadel, the part that Eggman couldn't see without moving, and examine the steel outer shell of the mainframe. Amy, on the other hand, had an idea of her own.

"Hey, is Sonic winning over there?" she asked no one in particular, pointing to the tree line. Immediately Eggman turned around and scanned the trees for Sonic.

I inwardly congratulated Amy. It looked like she had just bought Tails some time so he could scan the robot's inner workings. Tails also took note of this, and, pulling out a screwdriver from seemingly nowhere, began probing the side of the mainframe for a certain maintenance panel.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Amy put a finger to her lips and jerked her thumb toward Eggman, signalling he can hear us. Instead, she walked over to me and whispered "Find the radio" before scanning the chamber we were in. I nodded.

Throwing another glance in Eggman's direction, I was mildly surprised to see that the doctor did not notice what we were doing. Instead, he was still searching for Sonic and Knuckles. As long as he was distracted, we had time to attempt an escape.

I too began searching the mainframe for anything that looked remotely like a radio. If it was even located on the mainframe, its output sounded like it was coming from seemingly nowhere. I didn't know how Eggman did it, but I decided not to question it.

I had no idea what the microphone/speaker combo looked like, so I could have been mistaken about what it looked like. There were screws and bolts everywhere, maybe covering every square inch of the mainframe. I knew I had to find it and get out of here; I was getting spooked by even the sound of my sneakers quietly padding along the metal ground echoing off the walls maybe a few dozen times, and that wasn't an exaggeration.

At last, I spotted something that looked like a radio. It was black in color and about half an inch in diameter. I waved Amy over and motioned to it for confirmation. She nodded before walking up to it, a malicious grin on her face. What was she up to?

"Thanks for letting us distract you, Eggman!" she shouted into the microphone before pulling out her gigantic hammer again. (I had to know more about this phenomenon.) She slammed it into the part of the mainframe where the microphone was, lightly denting the mainframe, but also completely obliterating the microphone. Fortunately, this was not the part of the mainframe Tails was working on.

But the sudden sound of the hammer's impact with the metal created a near-deafening clang that startled all of us, even Amy. My hands flew to my ears, and it must have taken fifteen seconds for the sound to finally die down. On the bright side, we were rewarded with seeing Eggman visibly cringe outside, maybe even crying out at the sudden feedback coming from the headset he was wearing, as he ripped it off his head. I could have laughed if the situation wasn't so tense, but I cracked a smile at his misfortune nonetheless.

"Did you get it?" Tails asked once the echo mostly died down. Amy nodded.

"The connection's broken, so Eggman can't hear us anymore. Now we can talk freely. How's it going, Tails?"

"I'm halfway done unscrewing this panel," he reported. "These things are held together by eight screws each. That's why it's taking so long."

I asked the question of the day. "Tails, now might not be a good time, but… where did you get your screwdriver? I know you don't have pockets, so did you somehow pull it out of your back like they do in the cartoons?"

Tails blushed a little. "Yeah, something like that…"

I nodded, though more out of acknowledgement than understanding. This might not have been the best to to ask, but I at least had some sort of answer. That would also explain Amy's massive hammer.

Just then we heard the sound of a metal plate clattering on the ground.

"Got it!" announced Tails as he pulled a pair of scissors from his namesakes. I still had no idea how he did it, but I decided not to question it any further. "Now to find the primary power wire…" Tails mumbled to himself as he probed around inside the mess of machinery.

My eyes drifted over to Eggman, and I almost wished I didn't see him. He was looking right back at us. He was floating maybe fifty feet away now, but he was close enough for me to tell that he wasn't happy. He was holding his remote in a menacing manner.

"Guys, Eggman found out," I said worriedly. Amy turned to see Eggman as well, and began to panic.

"Tails, hurry!" she shrieked. "He's going to shock us again!"

This quickened Tails' pace. "I've almost got it!" the fox assured us as his eyes rested on two wires.

I braced myself for more pain. And it came. I cried out as the electricity coursed through me, even though it didn't hurt as much as it did the first time because this time I prepared myself for it.

On the other hand, Tails was startled by the suddenness of the shock treatment. While he was able to fly to avoid most of it, he had accidentally cut a wire with his scissors.

The wrong wire.

Now if movies taught me anything, it's that cutting the wrong wire can result in explosive consequences. This was the case here. Part of the mainframe exploded, the debris missing us by mere inches, and blew out part of the outside glass. And here Eggman said it was indestructible. Tails had accidentally proved him wrong.

The noise was near-deafening, and I once again covered my now-ringing ears. It really was that loud. At least now I didn't have to worry about the echoing thing as much anymore. It was greatly diminished compared to before.

However, with explosions came the danger of smoke. And smoke was pouring out of the hole, some of it even filling the chamber we were in despite the fresh air outside. Tails ran around the other side of the Citadel to join Amy and me, coughing on the smoke as he did.

"Maybe we can escape!" he said hopefully despite his choking. He tried to fly through the hole, but was met with a pink force field that suddenly appeared to block his way. He fell backward and landed on the floor near the mainframe.

"I forgot about the force field…" he moaned, rubbing his sore muzzle.

"Did you really think I wouldn't think everything out?" Eggman cackled. "There is no escaping for any of you, no matter how hard you try!"

I began to wonder if Eggman was right. I got down on my stomach to try to avoid the ever-growing cloud of smoke. Amy and Tails got the drift and did the same. I was feeling dizzy from the electricity and the smoke, and I knew that Amy and Tails were starting to feel the same way. Spots began to swim before my eyes, and I tried to keep myself from potentially fainting.

"If you're bored, you can always watch Sonic and Knuckles kill each other," suggested Eggman. I did not want to have two friends or friendly rivals go that far. As my fear levels skyrocketed, I only wished they would come and rescue us instead.

**WARNING ENDS HERE.**

* * *

**Silver Valley – Sun August 28; 1:07 PM – Sonic's POV**

I ran around Silver Valley, trying to find Eggman and his robot, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Silver Valley was huge. I mean, if Eggman was around surely he would be easy to find, right?

I had no idea what kind of robot Eggman had brought, but whatever it was, it was big enough to trap my three friends. For all I knew, it was heavily armed, and there were support robots.

Just then the sound of an explosion filled the air. My resolve tightened even more, and I desperately hoped that my friends weren't involved. I knew for sure that Eggman was behind that explosion.

I raced through the forest, panic welling up in my head. Four seconds later, I reached a clearing, which gave way to a giant lake, and immediately stopped in my tracks and gasped when I saw the robot Eggman was using.

It was an Egg Citadel, one of the most feared prison robots in Eggman's arsenal. I remembered that back in the war, about three of them were deployed in one of the villages, and they rounded up nearly every single civilian there. They used tractor beam-like lasers to draw them in front of them, and their shovel arms to scoop up the prisoners and dump them inside their chambers. They were also equipped for traveling in space, so that they could fly the prisoners up to the Death Egg to be roboticized. Unfortunately, some of them did get roboticized. I almost didn't make it in time that fateful day.

I knew the Citadels also had a shock administration module built into them to stop unruly prisoners. I bolted down the hill toward the Citadel.  _ Eggman  _ better _ not have used it on my friends... _

A couple other things I noticed about the Citadel was the smoke pouring from the mainframe through a hole blown in the glass; and Tails, Amy, and Chris calling to me, coughing on the smoke every now and then. They appeared to be low to the ground, probably trying not to choke too much.

How did that happen? I know that Citadel units were extremely durable and resilient to most attacks. I wondered if Tails did something to cause the mainframe to explode. But with all the smoke in there, it had to be mondo unhealthy inside.

"I'm coming!" I called as I attempted to launch myself through the hole in the Citadel's glass. But I bounced off a force field that appeared and landed on my feet on the grass nearby. Okay, so the force field was new…

Aaaand that was when Eggman noticed me.

"So you finally found out my real intention, Sonic," he said.

"Yeah, but too bad I'm gonna ruin it for ya!" I retorted as I aimed myself at the Citadel's legs. It was over the water, which might have made things a little difficult. My first spin out over the water struck one of the legs squarely, and I landed back on the shore. One more leg and it would topple over and hopefully free my friends. This was a trick I learned back in the war.

I immediately shot myself at the second leg, shearing it off as I landed back on the shore once more. That's when I began wondering if I would regret my decision. As the Citadel toppled forward toward the shore, I could easily have injured my friends. It landed in such a way that the ground covered the hole in the glass. Now I had to find a way to disable the force field.

"I've been expecting you," Eggman flew closer in his Eggmobile.

"Of course you were," I responded cockily. "Your delivery boy told me Knuckles would be here. I figured you weren't too far behind."

"And you would be right," Eggman continued. "I hope you haven't forgotten the full potential of my modified E-47 Egg Citadel!"

"How could I forget…" I mumbled as the Citadel began to move. Obviously Chris had no idea what Citadels were and what they could do, while Amy and Tails dealt with them before and knew what to expect. But I pitied Chris, as he was trapped inside one of Eggman's scariest robots. To think that I previously thought all of them were destroyed…

The Citadel continued to move. Using its shovel arms as spare legs, it slowly stood back up, throwing its prisoners to the ceiling which was now the floor. I just hoped they weren't injured beyond bruises. Additionally, the twelve laser cannons situated all around the outside of the robot began to activate. The closest three aimed at me and fired. The show was on.

I ran backward in an attempt to dodge the increasingly thick laser fire. I must have forgotten just how powerful these guns were, or never saw them in action, for they completely fried a nearby rock. I mean, the whole thing was gone, just like that. Not only that, but this Citadel had near-deadly accuracy, as some of the lasers were even landing just in front of me, as if predicting where I would go. I was forced to bob and weave through the thick storm in order to survive this ordeal.

I ran to the other side of a small hill, a blind spot for the Citadel, and paused to catch my breath. This version of the Egg Citadel was  _ really _ upgraded since my last encounter with its type. I had to think of a strategy to defeat this thing. This time, we didn't have the help of the entire Resistance.

This time, it was just me, myself, and… Knuckles?

Yup, Knuckles was still with us. He was approaching me, not in a menacing manner, but instead concerned at the new developments.

"Ran out of steam, Knux? 'Cause you kinda left me hanging back there," I teased.

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "There's no time for that," he said. "Not when Eggman's here. Why does he still have a Citadel at his disposal? And what's his plan, anyway?"

"From what I made out, he tricked you and used you as a distraction to keep me away from him. Meanwhile, he brought out his Citadel and baited Tails, Amy, Cream, and Chris with false news of a Chaos Emerald to lure them into a trap. Well… I don't know about the Chaos Emerald part, but it kinda makes sense in the long run. Somehow Cream didn't get captured, which is good news. Know if she's safe?"

A laser thudded into the hill near us, and I knew we had to move soon.

"Yeah," Knuckles jerked his thumb toward the forest behind us. "She's in the forest. You should probably get her back to wherever you're staying at."

"I will," I promised.

Suddenly a few dozen Buzz Bombers flew out of the bushes and began circling the area around the lake, searching for us.

"What about them?" Knuckles asked.

"First priority is to get Tails, Amy, and Chris out of there. But for now, you take care of the Buzz Bombers. I'll be back in a Sonic second to help!" And with that, I took off through the forest.

* * *

**Silver Valley – Sun August 28; 1:09 PM – Third-person POV**

Knuckles watched Sonic go, knowing he was usually true to his word when he said he would be back. But for now, he was up against a nightmare of the past and an estimated thirty Buzz Bombers to boot. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle on his own.

He punched one of the bee robots into the ground, and another into a third and fourth. Then he became aware of a whizzing sound behind him. Turning around, he saw about fifteen Motobugs zooming out of the forest. He was caught off guard by their sudden close proximity. His fists flew as he engaged the new arrivals.

"I may not have a Roboticizer yet, but I still have a prison at my base – and there's plenty of room there to accomodate all of you!" exclaimed Eggman. Knuckles turned on him while still fighting the Badniks.

"You tricked me," he said darkly.

Eggman chuckled. "Took you long enough to figure it out. You're not half the knucklehead I thought you were."

Knuckles thought he had gotten over being tricked – well, if you didn't count that one time shortly before being sent to Earth. Then again, Eggman didn't have much opportunity to deceive him until now.

"I'll make sure that never happens again, Eggman," Knuckles growled.

Suddenly the sound of rocket thrusters could be heard as the Citadel began to vertically rotate. It righted itself, throwing its occupants to the real floor once more. Eggman grinned.

"Don't count on it."

The sound of the rocket engines got louder as the Citadel slowly lifted into the air. Smoke was still pouring from it, but at a much slower rate. Its occupants cried out in utter fear, and Knuckles knew he had to act fast if he was going to rescue them in time.

He ran toward the ascending Citadel, but several of the Motobugs cut him off. It seemed as though the more he punched and kicked them, the more came to swiftly take their place. By now the Citadel was flying over the lake and getting higher and higher.

"You're not going anywhere…" muttered Knuckles under his breath.

Adrenalin coursed through his veins as he came up with a way to keep up with the rapidly escaping prison robot. He leaped out from among the congregating Badniks, scaled a tree in record time, and carefully but quickly glided from tree to tree around the perimeter of the lake. It didn't seem efficient, but it was certainly faster than running around the lake.

He threw another glance at the Citadel. Its upward velocity wasn't very high, but it was still a good forty feet above the ground and quickly moving forward. Knuckles was starting to run out of trees to vault.

After a few more tense seconds, he was finally close enough to the Citadel to be able to attack it. He took a giant leap off the tree branch and aimed his fist at one of the engines with satisfying results.

One of the quad engines shattered, completely disabling it. The Citadel started to plummet, causing more panic from within. However, it instantly flipped back over and used its shovel limbs as its spare legs once again. By now Knuckles had lost count how many times those within had been thrown around, but it was too many for anyone.

As soon as it landed on the ground, it opened fire on Knuckles with its heavy laser cannons. Knuckles was forced backward by the lasers. He knew that as long as they kept firing, he couldn't make any forward progress.

Then the Citadel did something Knuckles never remembered it doing before.

It emitted a shock wave that traveled along the ground. It was about a foot tall, and moved around the speed of an average running human. Knuckles was surprised by this turn of events, but managed to jump over the shock wave in time, only to be shot at again.

Suddenly Sonic returned from the tree line on the other side of the lake, scooped Knuckles up, and carried him out of the way of the thick laser storm. Knuckles wasn't overly startled because he saw Sonic coming. He set him down about a hundred yards away from the robot.

"Just took care of the other Badniks you missed," he reported. "Was that a shock wave I saw just now?"

"I wish it wasn't," Knuckles replied. "This thing is way tougher than the ones we faced back in the war."

"Yeah. I don't remember the older models having force fields. All right, first priority is to demobilize that thing. Go for the legs."

"That's what I've been trying to do since I grounded it."

"Well, two heads are better than one, so let's show Eggman what we're made of!" Sonic rallied.

"Let's do this," agreed Knuckles as both Mobians charged toward the Citadel.

* * *

**Silver Valley - E-47 Citadel – Sun August 28; 1:10 PM – Chris' POV**

If I thought last week was bad, it was nothing compared to today. I had been through earthquakes before, but they paled in comparison to being flipped around and thrown about inside Eggman's giant robot. In short, this was hands-down the most terrifying experience I had ever had in my life. So much in fact, that it brought me to tears. I wanted out so badly, and I could tell that Tails, and Amy were almost equally as frightened.

From the moment we lifted off the ground, I knew Eggman was going to fly us all the way to his base. I had never been there, nor would I ever want to go there. Fortunately, Knuckles had destroyed one of the Citadel's engines, causing us to be thrown around yet again. Why was this happening to us?!

Needless to say, all three of us were sporting several bruises and a few cuts from the broken glass, plus we still had some smoke inside, not to mention I may or may not have hit my head on the outside glass wall. How come the smoke could escape the chamber but not us? It wasn't fair!

Now that our chamber had been flipped for the third time, Tails carefully stood up and stood on his tiptoes to look out the window.

"We're gonna get hit one more time," he warned us, trying and failing to not sound scared himself. I really hoped that Sonic and Knuckles only needed the one hit to get us out.

Suddenly there was a massive jolt as the Citadel was struck hard by the combined force of Sonic and Knuckles. They must have done a number on the legs, for I could feel the entire robot toppling backward. I wasn't quite expecting it to fall backward instead of forward, and I fell backward with the robot's motion. I hit my head once again, though lightly, as I had thrown my arms behind me to take the rest of the fall. The wind was knocked out of me as I landed. My eyes darted around the chamber, looking for the hole. At last I spotted it close to the ground. It was large enough for us to squeeze through. Only thing was, I felt very weak from a combination of the smoke and being thrown around too much.

Amy was the first to slowly make a move for the opening, choking on the smoke as she did so.

"Wait," Tails held up a hand. "I need to check to see if the force field is still there."

Amy nodded as Tails inched toward the opening. Amid all the terror going on, I had almost forgotten about the force field. The fox held up a hand to the opening, and was able to reach outside. He turned back to us, smiling.

"Shield's down!" he announced with a thumbs-up.

I attempted to crawl toward the exit myself, but my weak and injured state only allowed me to move so far and so fast.

"He needs help," Amy told Tails. The latter nodded.

As Tails and Amy approached to help me escape, Sonic leaped through the opening. "It's like a sauna in here…" he mumbled to himself before turning to us. He ran over and scooped me up first before carrying me out the hole and into open daylight. I was finally out in the fresh air. With the adrenalin starting to wear off, I couldn't help but cry after the whole ordeal. Sonic gently patted my back.

"You're safe now," Sonic said soothingly, but with some tensity as well. "I'm gonna get you home as soon as Eggman is dealt with."

I nodded. Sonic set me down and ran over to help Amy and Tails out of the smoking robot, even though they were already on their way out. Tails was visibly shaken up, and a teary Amy embraced Sonic for comfort.

"It's okay, Amy," he spoke reassuringly. "It's all over."

"Oh, you pathetic fools!" Eggman cackled from above. "If only you knew the half of it!"

"Guys, it's still active," Knuckles warned as the Citadel began to stir. Its rockets began to activate once more. I had to admit, the engines sounded louder outside than they did inside.

"Everyone away, now!" ordered Sonic. Tails, Amy, and I quickly decided on a direction and ran as fast as we could. I was in no condition to run on my own, so Tails and Amy each took one of my hands and guided me.

I heard a sudden whooshing sound behind me. Chancing a look behind me, I saw the Citadel firing missiles at Sonic and Knuckles. These missiles were a lot smaller than what I would expect them to look like; they were about the size of the Fourth of July fireworks we launched earlier this year. They exploded on impact with the ground, completely missing the two heroes.

"Get the others to safety! I've got a plan to destroy this thing!" shouted Knuckles.

"Go for it!" answered Sonic before rushing over to us. "Behind this rock, quick," he instructed as he guided us over to a nearby large rock. Thanks to Sonic's quick thinking, we were now safe behind rock, for a missile exploded where we had been about ten seconds ago. My ears rang from the blast.

"I never thought I would ever be inside a Citadel before…" Tails commented in a low voice.

"Tails… are you really sure it  _ is _ the last one?" I asked, voice shaky.

"I thought it was, I really did… but after today… I can't be too sure now."

Just then we heard a sickening crunch, followed by another and another. The four of us looked up to Knuckles destroying the blasters one by one.

"Aren't you going to join him?" Amy asked Sonic.

"I would, but the safety of my friends comes first," he responded. If I liked Sonic before, then I liked him even more now. He was the kind of guy who would put the safety of others above his own. We truly needed more of those kinds of people in this world.

We watched as Knuckles took an impressively huge leap off of the Citadel toward Eggman.

"You'll never trick me again, Eggman!" he roared before rearing back and kicking Eggman's hovercraft far away. The doctor screamed aloud as his hovercraft sailed out of sight.

Landing back atop the Citadel, Knuckles took a few deep breaths before leaping into the air and pounding the top of the robot with both hands, causing a giant crack to run straight down the middle of the entire robot. It was just like watching Kirby's Megaton Punch in real life. The Citadel exploded violently without warning, and we had to cover our ears because of the near-deafening noise. Shrapnel flew everywhere, and since we were all hiding behind a rock, it miraculously missed us in spite of our close proximity.

"Stay down and hold on tight," Sonic shouted over the noise. We did as we were told, as the explosion's shock wave hit us with tremendous force. Tails was nearly blown away, but Amy reached out and grabbed onto his hand to prevent that.

A few moments later, everything finally died down. The sudden silence was quite eerie, especially considering it was silent when we arrived. There was still some smoke from the robot's explosion, and I was sure Tails, Amy, and I smelled of smoke. We would need to shower later.

Furthermore, all the smoke and being thrown around made me feel more than a little queasy. The last thing I needed was to vomit in front of my friends.

"Is it safe…?" I asked. Sonic stood up and looked around, a grim expression on his face.

"It is now," he reported. "But it looks like I've got some major cleanup here."

I took a moment before standing up. Did I really want to look? Was it that bad?

I stood up and looked across the valley and the lake. What was once a beautiful sanctuary with a perfectly clear lake was now scattered with debris and shrapnel. It was a total war zone. I took this as a harsh reminder that life with Sonic wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. It still beat my old life in every way. Look at me, calling today a new life entirely. Maybe it was.

"Where's Cream? Is she okay?" Amy asked, almost frantic.

"Yeah. I got her back home," Sonic responded. "In fact, she's the one who told me about your being captured in the first place." There was a pause. "Is it true that Eggman tricked you into coming here just so he could capture you three?" he asked incredulously.

Amy nodded. "He was also going to roboticize us," she replied, voice still shaky.

Sonic was both sympathetic and grim. "That was a low blow, what he did to you today."

"I agree," came Knuckles' voice as the echidna approached.

"Gotta say, Knux, that final hit was way past cool," he complimented.

"Thanks," he replied quietly. "I just did a check of the area. There are  _ definitely _ no Chaos Emeralds here."

"We figured that out when Eggman told us himself," Sonic said. "By the way, you still sure you don't want to come back with us?"

"Nah, I'm good," Knuckles waved his hand. "And hey, sorry about earlier. I guess I was getting way too into that act Eggman set up for me."

"All's forgiven," Sonic said, that cocky smirk returning to his features.

"Oh, Knuckles?" piped up Amy. "Let us know if you find any Chaos Emeralds! The faster we find them, the sooner we can get back home!"

"Will do," promised Knuckles. "Take care."

With that, the echidna hurried off into the forest. There was silence for a moment afterward, until Sonic spoke.

"…Everyone okay?" he asked. "'Cause you were getting thrown around an awful lot in there."

"We're okay, Sonic," Tails quietly responded. "Just a little dizzy and bruised is all." Amy nodded. "It was really scary."

"I know it was," Sonic replied. "But it's over now. You guys are safe, still alive and kicking, and that's all that matters."

"We need to be more ready for Eggman next time," Tails replied. "Anyway, I should probably check to see if the Tornado's okay." With that, he turned to head in the direction his plane was parked in.

Amy followed him. "See you two back at the mansion," she said.

They walked away, leaving just me and Sonic standing there. Sonic wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"It's been a rough day for you, hasn't it, buddy?" he said softly. I nodded.

"Y-Yeah…" I spoke in almost a whisper.

"Did he electrocute you when you were in that thing?" he asked tensely.

I nodded again, trying to be brave and hold back my tears, as well as the nauseating sensation that started to rise in my stomach. Sonic gritted his teeth.

"I'm going to pay him back in double for what he did today. But first, I'm gonna clean this place up, make it look like today never happened."

"S-Sonic…" I whispered, hugging Sonic tighter as the first tears started to flow. "I think Eggman hates me…"

"I know," Sonic spoke in a soothing voice. He gently rubbed my back. "I'm not gonna let him near you. That's a promise. Now hang tight. In just a couple minutes you'll be safe at home." 

Sonic carefully lifted me into his arms; he was quite strong despite his size. He must have noticed I was starting to turn green from the rising nausea. 

"Just do me a favor and keep your lunch down, at least until we get back, 'k?"

His confidence having returned, he took off at an incredible speed. I had not felt such speed since… well, ever. I had ridden in Sam Speed's car a few times before, but it was nothing compared to this exhilarating experience. It was a strangely wonderful feeling. I closed my eyes against the strong wind that buffeted me as Sonic ran. To think that I was able to befriend him…

Thinking back to the night I rescued him from the pool, I would never have thought a day like today would have occurred. It has started out so well, and then it fell apart so quickly, all because of Dr. Eggman. Amy and Tails had said that this Citadel was one of Eggman's most nightmarish robots, and that it might not be the only one out there. But I felt really relieved when it was finally destroyed.

The more I thought about it, the more the mad doctor terrified me. His unquenchable ambition to conquer the world and turn it into his Eggman Empire felt more real now. Now it was personal, because I was directly involved.

But there was one who was willing to stand in Dr. Eggman's way of world domination. One who was willing to put his friends first before his own needs. One who vowed to never give up in the fight for freedom.

He was my friend Sonic.

Sonic the Hedgehog.


	6. Chris' Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris' hard-working parents arrive for a visit, but it seems Chris is held up at school by a robot with nefarious intentions.

**Thorndyke Mansion - Outside – Thu September 2; 7:18 AM – Third-person POV**

It was the morning of Thursday, September 2. Five days had passed since the unfortunate Citadel incident at Silver Valley. Those involved wished to forget about all that went down on that fateful day.

But Sonic the Hedgehog knew he could never forget.

As he embarked on his daily morning run, the thoughts that ran through his mind over the last few days were once again his train of thought. He did his best thinking on his feet, but he wasn't coming up with any clear answers.

_ Think, Sonic. How can I protect Chris? How do I make sure he's safe at all times without anyone seeing me? There's gotta be an easy way to do it! _

He knew that no one else was supposed to know he was here on Earth except for Chris and Chuck (and of course, his friends), but after three separate encounters with Eggman since arriving, he knew that complete secrecy was out the window. But how could he be there for Chris, especially away from home, when no one else was supposed to see him?

Sonic had sparred with Eggman three times since the two of them made it to Earth. All three battles had something in common: Chris Thorndyke. He was involved in some way during all of them, and was even the center of attention most recently. That was way too much danger for a twelve-year-old to handle. Sure, Amy was twelve too, and she had taken part in a planetary war, for crying out loud. But age and maturity worked differently with humans than Mobians. Something had to be done to keep Chris away from Eggman for as much as possible.

As he ran, he did not see the hidden government agents in a bush he passed.

"523 miles per hour," one of the three men reported as he lowered a device in his hand.

These men were sent on direct authority of the President to study the alien. After a few days of taking shifts in a bush across the street from the Thorndykes' massive residence (they did not want to arouse the suspicions of the family within), they quickly learned that the alien took daily runs starting around seven in the morning, and started nearly every run going in the same direction.

Ever since learning that the alien started its runs around seven, they no longer needed to take shifts – their new order was to record its speed, get a feel for just how fast it could run. So they were hiding in a bush with a radar gun, a notebook, and a tablet.

"Good; write that down," the second agent requested as the third wrote down the latest recording.

"It's consistent with the other speeds we've recorded," he announced. The second agent took the notebook and punched some numbers into his tablet.

"It's incredible how any living being can run that fast without breaking the laws of physics," the first agent reminisced.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg," the third agent added. "Numerous Cantonville residents have reported seeing loose pieces of scrap metal up in Silver Valley. Rumors are spreading about them being related to Dr. Robotnik."

"I wouldn't doubt it," nodded the first agent. "Any word on the condition of Subject C?"

"Yes; we have received word that he is in stable condition. Details on Robotnik's motives are yet unknown, but the metal from the robot he allegedly used was salvaged and taken to Area 99 for analysis. They won't say much except it's other-wordly."

"Finished," the second agent announced. He picked up his radio. "Team Alpha to Mission Control. Do you read?"

"Loud and clear," came the response.

"Speed average for Day Eleven is 512 miles per hour. Over."

There was a pause. "Ten-four. Mission complete. Report to Mission Control for new instructions."

"Ten-four. Over and out."

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion – Thu September 2; 7:39 AM – Chris' POV**

As I sat in the dining room for breakfast, I thought back to what had happened five days ago after what was supposed to be a leisurely hunt for a Chaos Emerald.

As promised, Sonic had gone back to Silver Valley to clean up the debris left by Eggman's robot. He had told me that night that he made it look as if Eggman had never been there. That brought me relief, as I knew no one would go near the lake if it was polluted by metal and spilled fuel, or whatever Eggman used to power his robots. Now no one would ever know what happened there. I wished I could say the same. Some things were just too hard to forget.

When Sonic brought me back home, I was laid down in Grandpa's bed up in the lab, where I had been placed when I had nearly fallen to my death. It only took Cream and Grandpa seconds to notice that I didn't look well. Of course the cuts and bruises were evidence enough, but Grandpa pried, and I told them that Eggman electrocuted me for trying to escape. This got Cream concerned, maybe a little frightened, and Grandpa got mad at Eggman to the point where he even ranted a little on how inhumane and evil that was. Cream had to ask him to please calm down after that.

Minutes later, the sound of a plane's motor heralded the arrival of Tails and Amy, and were relieved to find me safe in bed. I had stayed there until the morning being treated by Grandpa due to my pain and weakness. Sonic had to run to get me a bucket before I finally spewed my insides. The combination of motion sickness, smoke, and the rush home had contributed to my vomiting into the bucket. This had earned me even more sympathy, and made me wish even more that I was never at Silver Valley.

As a result of my queasiness and pain, Grandpa let me skip school the next day, telling Ella and Tanaka that I was under the weather. He was a little hesitant to let me in the house because he didn't know what my guardians would say about my… condition. But he did nonetheless so as not to arouse suspicion from them. They couldn't know about my anthropomorphic friends yet.

One thing I remember as I dozed off to sleep that day was Grandpa, Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Cream talking about a strategy to gather the remaining Chaos Emeralds, and my needing to be kept safe at all costs. Due to my fatigue and adrenalin rush wearing off, I was too tired to contribute to the conversation. I had to admit, I did need protection. Eggman was a far more serious threat than I realized.

There was one thing for which I had been grateful after the incident. No one had called us about interviews for TV or magazines. They got very annoying after a while, and Ella told them to stop after an incident we described as the straw that broke the camel's back. If there were reporters now, Sonic's cover would be blown, and my entire family would be charged for conspiracy and potentially harboring criminals, even if they didn't know what I knew.

This was five days ago. Now, I was eating a hearty breakfast before school – an otherwise boring routine, but, for once, a welcome change of pace. I was thankful that Ella was the greatest cook in the world, so hearty was normal for me. Grandpa used to brag that she could beat Bobby Flay with one hand behind her back, and I'm pretty sure she even  _ did _ do that once.

Tanaka entered the room, his cell phone to his ear. He was smiling, something I didn't often see when he was on the phone.

"Yes, I shall tell him at once. Sayonara, Mr. Thorndyke."

With that, he hung up and turned to me.

"That was your father, Master Chris. He would like to inform you that he and your mother will arrive to see you this afternoon."

"Really?!" I immediately got excited. It had been eight months since I had last seen them. It looked like their busy schedules finally worked out for once.

A smiling Tanaka nodded. "They will be here through the weekend, if I am not mistaken. The master would have told you himself, but he was called away quite suddenly." Last-minute work on a project, I assumed.

"Oh, I can't wait to catch up with Mrs. Thorndyke!" an ecstatic Ella beamed.

Good thing I was just finishing breakfast, for I wanted to tell my friends and Grandpa about this latest development.

"May I be excused?" I asked Ella. "I wanna tell Grandpa about this!"

"Yes, you may," Ella said. With that, I immediately got up, grabbed my backpack from off the table, and ran toward the front door. "But don't take too long! You have school, remember," she called after me.

"I know! Bye, guys!" I called back as I opened the door and ran outside. I made a beeline for the lab, glad that Tanaka had relaxed the rule about running inside. I was older now and could take better care of myself on the foyer's marble floor.

Not even a minute later, I burst through the lab's trap door, accidentally startling everyone inside. To my mild surprise, Sonic was also there, and they were all enjoying chili dogs. Sonic must have easily turned everyone else onto them, maybe even bribed Grandpa into getting them for all I know. They were even starting to grow on me.

"Oh, you scared me," Grandpa said, his hand clamped over his heart.

"Sorry," I hastily apologized, "but I wanted to tell you that Mom and Dad are finally coming home this afternoon!"

"Are they really!" Grandpa exclaimed, a broad smile on his face. "Oh, it's gonna be great to see Nelson again after all these months. I hope work's been going well with him."

I found that my friends' expressions carried a different tone. Tails, Amy, and Cream all seemed confused, while Sonic seemed to have an odd expression that I couldn't place.

"But why aren't they around?" Tails queried.

"I'll explain later," Grandpa promised before taking another bite of his chili dog. Now  _ I _ wanted one, even if I had already eaten.

Having finished his own chili dog, Sonic crumpled up the wrapper and aimed it perfectly into the garbage can. He stood up, stretched, and made his way to the trap door.

"Where are you going, Sonic?" I asked.

"Just the roof," he answered simply before lifting the door and descending the stairs. He closed the door behind him.

"What's up with him?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, you know Sonic has had a lot on his mind ever since we came here," answered Tails. "When he's not running, he likes relaxing on the roof or in a tree to think things through."

Well, I  _ guess _ that made sense in a way… But it still didn't explain Sonic's somewhat strange behavior ever since the incident at Silver Valley. Since then, he had been sideglancing me, and I happened to catch him doing that sometimes. Other than that, he seemed pretty normal, whatever normal was for him.

I snapped myself back to reality.

"So, uh, could you all please stay out of sight when Mom and Dad get here?" I requested.

"Sure thing," Amy agreed. Tails nodded.

"Mr. Chris, I don't want to be rude, but how long are your parents going to be here?" Cream asked.

"At least through the weekend, I think," I answered. Cream looked a little dismayed at the probability of having to be cooped up here for the whole weekend.

"Don't worry, Cream," Amy encouraged, scooted closer to her friend. "We'll have fun while they're here, like maybe play a board game! Chris, do you have board games in the house?"

I nodded. "We do. Remind me to go get some when I come back from school."

Grandpa rotated his desk chair to face the rest of the room. "Actually, I can get them myself right after I see you off to school, which starts in…" He looked at the clock. "…ten minutes."

Only then did I realize the time. If I stayed a second longer, I would be late for school for sure.

With a hasty "Thanks for reminding me Grandpa bye guys!", I immediately threw open the trap door and ran down the stairs…

…except I was probably a little  _ too _ hasty. I pitched forward, but landed on my hands to break my fall.

"Chris, are you all right?" called a concerned Grandpa from above me.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" I called back as I stood back up and ran for my bike, grateful that Sonic had brought it back after we found the first Chaos Emerald. I mounted it and pedaled off to school.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Chuck's lab – Thu September 2; 7:50 AM – Third-person POV**

Everyone felt relief that Chris was not seriously hurt. The way he flew down those stairs...

Having run over to the trap door to see if Chris was okay, Tails returned to his beanbag, wondering to himself why it never occurred to him for the past two weeks to ask about Chris' parents. The boy seemed like he had it all – a big house, lots of money, even a butler and a maid… but no  _ real _ family he lived with aside from his grandfather.

"Mr. Chris looked very happy to know his parents are coming," noted Cream.

"Chao chao!" echoed Cheese before the Chao stuffed his face with another bite of chili dog, to Tails' amusement.

"He is," Chuck nodded. "He hasn't seen them in eight months."

"…What…?" Amy spoke after a moment, clearly at a loss for words.

"What is it they do that keeps them away from their son for so long?" asked Tails.

"They're both uber-famous," Chuck said, before he took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat. "Chris' father Nelson, my son, is an entrepreneur, and owner of Starship Soft, which is one of the biggest technological industries in the world. It's kind of ironic, because Starship Soft started out as a software firm, but they now work with hardware too and they never changed the name."

"What about his mom?" Amy asked.

"Lindsey's a famous Hollywood actress who has won many awards for her acting. She's been in countless movies, from romance to action."

By now everyone had finished eating, so they set their plates aside.

"…They sound like really busy people…" Tails quietly pondered. "How often do they visit?"

"They visit only two or three times a year, sometimes as many as five," Chuck answered. "I want them to visit more often as much as Chris does, but their jobs are very demanding. And yet both of them love their jobs."

"Poor Chris…" sympathized Cream. "Is he lonely?"

Chuck closed his eyes, nodding his head slightly. "It's like he has a hole in his heart with his parents being away for so long, and with their visits so few and far between, well…" He took a deep breath. "Chris is a very lonely kid, and he's been trying to fill that hole with whatever he can."

"Doesn't he have any other family, or friends even?" Amy asked.

Chuck hesitated, almost unsure of what to say. "He does have an uncle who works in a special branch of the police force, but he too has his own life to live. His mother's parents live in England, but as for friends… well… you would be his first."

Cream's eyes went wide. "Mr. Chris has never had friends before?!" she exclaimed, as if this was the most scandalous thing she had heard in her six years.

"But he's such a nice kid!" Amy added in her own two cents. "How can he not have  _ any _ friends? And he goes to school and everything!"

"I don't know, Amy…" Chuck slowly shook his head. "Sure, there are people who like him, but he tells me it's only because he has famous parents. No one likes him for who he is on the inside." He closed his eyes, forbidding tears from forming. "I want the best for him, I really do. But there's nothing I can do to help him make true friends. He's started to become introverted now."

The Mobians didn't know what to say. Chris not only didn't have friends, but couldn't make any, either. That was a real shame.

"Listen," Chuck continued pleadingly. "You have  _ no _ idea how much you've radically turned his life around. I've noticed he seems a lot happier now that you're here." He paused, unsure of how to phrase what he was about to say. "Tails, Amy, Cream… Please take care of him. He needs you."

Tails, Amy, Cream, and even Cheese solemnly nodded.

"You can count on us, Chuck," Tails said.

Chuck looked from one face to the next. "Thank you," he said after a pause.

Little did they know that, from his spot on the roof, Sonic had heard every word of the conversation.

* * *

**Eggman's base – Thu September 2; 7:56 AM – Third-person POV**

Eggman was bored. He had not made a move toward world domination in the last five days, besides organizing and reorganizing his Badniks and E-series robots. He had kept tabs on the GUN surveillance team on his island. So far, they had done nothing of interest since their arrival. He thought it to be unwise to instigate them now, as that would result in a war. In fact, a war was already just beyond the horizon, and he had to prepare for an eventual all-out attack on his base.

But there was one individual he couldn't seem to rid from his mind, and for once, it wasn't the hedgehog. It was the boy.

The last time Eggman made a move, he nearly succeeded in taking the child to his fortress for roboticization, even if he didn't have one ready yet. He knew it wouldn't take him overly long to build one, so the prison block could hold him for a few weeks until then. However, his Chaos Roboticizer had taken him a solid month to build. He would have to settle for a normal Roboticizer.

This time he wouldn't try to outright get rid of him, or roboticize him. This time he would attempt to get to know his enemy better.

There seemed to be more to this boy than met the eye. Eggman still couldn't get over the fact that he stole the Chaos Emerald right out from under his nose in broad daylight. He needed to know several things about this new enemy Sonic was staying with

_ Who is he? _

_ What is his background? _

_ Who are his allies? _

_ What makes him dangerous? _

"Doctor Eggman, you will want to view Monitor 4," Bocoe's voice came, rousing the doctor from his thoughts. "There is something of interest."

Eggman looked up at one of the smaller screens flanking the big screen. The image clearly depicted a familiar-looking child riding a bicycle.

The boy who stole the Emerald.

"This is the live feed from one of the surveillance robots navigating the city," explained Bocoe. For days Eggman had his surveillance orbs, an older series of spy robots, scouting the city for any signs of anything that could potentially forward his plans. They all were upgraded with cloaking devices, so that the suspicions of the population would not be aroused.

"Is this the child you saw earlier?" Bocoe asked.

Eggman nodded. "It is."

"What do you intend to do?" Bocoe asked. "Surely it is not in your nature to stalk minors."

"Oh no, I'm not going to  _ stalk _ him," Eggman corrected. "I have enough dignity not to stoop that low. No, I only intend to learn more about him. That annoying pincushion and his rodent friends are staying with him, and, in case you didn't know, he stole a Chaos Emerald right out of my grasp!"

"We have already been informed of this in approximately thirty-seven instances," Bocoe said, doing the closest thing to deadpanning. Eggman shrugged it off.

"Regardless… the time may be here at last." He stroked his mustache. "Have this probe unit follow the boy. I want to know where he is headed."

"Affirmative."

A few keystrokes from Bocoe later, the probe set its photoreceptor on the boy and pursued him. Eggman couldn't help but notice that he had a strange smile on his face - as if he was excited about something. He wondered what it could be.

"What do you intend to do once he reaches his destination?" queried Decoe, who was stationed at another part of the console.

"Nothing, yet," Eggman answered. "Perhaps he is making a rendezvous… at…"

His voice trailed off as the boy arrived at his destination. He locked his bike and ran toward the front doors of what looked like a school. Eggman peered intently at the sign outside the school.

"Oakview Elementary…" he mused, reading the big white letters on the blue sign. "This must be where he goes to school…" He rose to his feet in an instant. "Perfect. Now I can put my next plan into action!"

"Does this scheme involve the new E-51 unit you have constructed recently, Doctor?" asked Decoe.

Eggman grinned. "Indeed it does. Decoe, fetch the coordinates of the school while I summon my latest creation."

"Yes, Doctor," the yellow robot saluted as he went to his assigned post. Eggman walked toward the intercom activator and switched it on.

"E-51 Drill Sergeant, report to the command center immediately. It's time for your assignment."

Luckily, the doctor didn't have to wait long for his newest robot to emerge through the doors of the command center. It was tall, stately even, and sported LED eyes that could display emotion. It was even complete with a graduation cap. But within its code, it was programmed for Eggman's intentions.

"At your service, Doctor," the robot droned, carrying some rare emotion in its voice.

"Good. Come here, and I'll patch the coordinates into your databanks."

"Yes, Doctor."

"Now, hold still."

There was a wire that resembled Earth's USB wires dangling from the robot's graduation cap. The mad genius took it and plugged it into a slot in the console dedicated for it, selected a few options on a touchpad, and soon began the process of installing the school's coordinates, as well as the image of the child Sonic was staying with, into the robot's memory.

"Do you need a refresher on your mission?" Eggman asked.

"Negative," E-51 stated. "I am programmed to infiltrate the school of the child affiliated with Sonic the Hedgehog, and incite his class into supporting the Eggman Empire."

"Good," Eggman beamed. "One more thing before you go, and I promise, these will come in handy."

He then opened a drawer and pulled out two large cartridges, adorned with intricate circuit boards protected with a transparent casing. Then he took a screwdriver from his suit pocket and unscrewed a compartment in the robot's back before inserting them.

"One of these chips contains a mind control module that can override voluntary actions and even emotions – everything except for independent thoughts. The other… it may be a bit sketchy, but it's a Chaos module from one of my earlier plans. As it is modified to contain pure Chaos energy, it may prove to be unstable and could malfunction, but I've programmed you to resist that if it happens.

"Use any means necessary to get those children to support me," Eggman continued as he screwed the panel shut. "If the school's security gets too persistent, use Chaos Control to get yourself out of there. Do you understand?"

"Affirmative," the E-51 saluted.

"Be on your way now. You won't need to use the runway; the Badnik launch bay will be more sufficient given your size."

"Affirmative," the E-51 repeated as it hovered from the room. Eggman sat back and watched the radar as a blip moved away from his base and toward Station Square. The Drill Sergeant would succeed. He was sure of it.

* * *

**Oakview Elementary – Thu September 2; 8:13 AM – Chris' POV**

Math may have been my favorite subject, but sometimes it had an uncanny way of making Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels seem easy.

Today I was struggling on an algebra pop quiz. Why did it have to be algebra? Why couldn't it be normal math, like subtraction or even long division?

While I liked math, algebra was never my strong point. They seemed to be full of guesswork some of the time; in essence I found the math problems to be… well… problems. Two of the most daunting problems were  _ n _ \+ 2 = 3³ - 5 and (2 ×  _ y _ ) + 4 = 32 - 12.

Maybe I had exaggerated earlier. While I had done algebra before, this was the kind of algebra I hated, and now the problems were getting more difficult with each passing grade. And this was only sixth grade. What would high school algebra hold for me?

I found myself wishing something exciting would happen to break me away from my pop quiz. Something like a leak or fire drill or–

Suddenly the door was blasted off its hinges by something from outside. It slammed into the opposite wall, leaving a door-shaped indent in its wake. To answer everyone's question concerning what caused it, a tall robot hovered into the room. It was about six feet tall, and was sporting one of those hats one would typically see at high school graduation parties.

Mr. Stewart instinctively jumped up and faced the newcomer.

"No one will leave the premises," it demanded in a somewhat monotone voice before my teacher could speak.

What did it want? Why was it here? I had to admit, I was startled, but fortunately, Mr. Stewart didn't lose his cool.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Are you with Robotnik?"

"Affirmative," the robot replied.

"State your business," Mr. Stewart ordered as calmly as possible.

"Your contract has expired," the robot stated as it slowly approached the teacher, its mouth grille flashing in time to its speech. "You are no longer eligible to instruct the juveniles. You will depart the premises immediately."

Mr. Stewart pulled a pistol from his jacket, to my surprise. I took it he was a legal carrier.

"If you do not leave immediately, I will have security escort you out of the building. Wait, hold on, how did you even get in here witho–"

He didn't get a chance to finish as the robot suddenly fired a beam out of its chest, vaporizing Mr. Stewart into a shower of atoms. We were all stunned into silence at this sudden turn of events. I was really getting to like my teacher, especially since he had told me a couple of times how much he loved Mom's movies. Why did this robot have to do this?

Now that it no longer had any hindrances, the robot hovered over to the seat Mr. Stewart used to occupy and faced us.

"I am E-51 Drill Sergeant, servant of Dr. Eggman, but you will address me as E-51," it stated.

"He killed Mr. Stewart…" Danny whispered, still in shock, but E-51 overheard.

"Negative. Previous instructor Franklin Stewart is not deceased. Stewart has been transported. I am his permanent substitute. Today I will instruct you in the truth about Dr. Eggman."

My blood ran cold. Eggman had some nerve sending a robot here to teach us about him. What was the point? Was it propaganda?

As a sinking feeling set in, I suddenly felt myself regretting my wish. Now all I wanted was to go back to my algebra pop quiz…

* * *

**??? – Thu September 2; 8:15 AM – Third-person POV**

Mr. Stewart was far from dead.

Just a moment ago, he was teaching his class like it was any other day. Now he was standing in a hallway he was completely unfamiliar with, on account of a robot intruder affiliated with Robotnik.

He was thoroughly confused. He was here now… But he had just been in the classroom seconds ago. Was that… a teleportation device of some sort? That kind of technology was not able to be harnessed by the human race yet, so how did Eggman manage to pull it off?

Whatever the case, he knew he had to return to his class somehow and make sure they were okay – especially the boy he was assigned to.

But first, he had to figure out where on Earth he was.

A cursory overview of his surroundings provided him no easy answer. He hadn't been given a sufficient tour of the entire facility, so he had no idea which hallway he was in. Even worse, he didn't know if he was even in the same school.

He began to wander aimlessly down the hall, looking for any sign of where he was. But no door or passage looked familiar to him. This was bad news. If he didn't make it back to his class, there would be certain calamity. It was his duty to make sure Chris lived long enough to supply him and the government information on Sonic. His whole mission would be awash if anything were to happen to that boy.

He was baffled as to why the robot spared his life. Its creator had sworn to destroy anyone who got in the way of world domination. If he had been killed, then the students would be robbed of their innocence. Maybe the doctor did have  _ some _ heart in him.

At last he spotted a pair of restrooms. He entered the men's room and, to his relief, saw that it was vacant. He ducked into a stall, closed the door behind him, and pressed a few tiny buttons on his video watch to activate it. The face of his superior appeared on the screen.

"Mission Control, this is Chalkboard Charlie. We have a situation. I, uh…" He sniffed. "I don't exactly know how to explain this, but… an unidentified robot teleported me out of my classroom."

The agent was silent, allowing the message to sink in.

"…Did I hear you right?" he asked. "It teleported you out?"

"Affirmative. I suspect it may be affiliated with Dr. Robotnik in some way."

The agent nodded. "Do you know if school security is on the scene?"

"Negative," Stewart responded. "I don't know if I'm even in the same school."

"Stay on the line. I'm getting your position now."

As the agent glanced off to the side, probably at another screen, Mr. Stewart looked down at the floor. If the doctor tried to remove him from the classroom, this meant that he wanted the children for something. This was at the very least a hostage crisis.

The agent returned to the screen's view a moment later.

"According to the GPS, you're still at Oakview Elementary."

Mr. Stewart found this piece of news both a relief and a shock. If the robot wanted him out of the classroom, why did it only send him to another part of the building, instead of another city entirely?

"Copy."

"I suggest you contact local police. We will make arrangements to deploy the army if the situation escalates."

"Sir, won't police presence escalate an already delicate situation?" Stewart asked.

"Try it anyway; this is a robot, not a human."

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Stewart disconnected from his superior and reached for his cell phone. He hoped the police could do something. He dialed 911 and held the phone to his ear. After he finished calling, he set in his head to find his class and see if they were safe.

* * *

**Oakview Elementary – Thu September 2; 8:17 AM – Chris' POV**

"I already know the truth!" I blurted, thoroughly disgusted over what E-51 had just told us. It was propaganda through and through, and I was too smart to fall for it. There were a lot of people who might easily get tricked by Eggman, especially the Millennials and Gen-Z people such as myself. But I knew they couldn't get into my head that easily; I learned from Sonic himself about the extent of Eggman's ambitions.

I could swear E-51 glared at me with malice through its glowing eyes.

"You will remain silent," it admonished. "All of you will remain silent."

"No, we're not!" Danny piped up. I admired his bravery. "Stop telling us Eggman is a good guy! He's  _ evil _ !"

"Creator Dr. Robotnik is not designated 'evil'," corrected E-51. "The future Eggman Empire will benefit humanity. Eggmanland will be the be-all end-all carnival. In due time you will all call Dr. Robotnik your new master."

"My friends told me enough," I replied, feeling bold. "They told me that everyone in the Eggman Empire will be robots."

"Affirmative," E-51 confirmed.

Apparently our courage sparked rebellion throughout the classroom. It erupted with cries of:

"I'm gonna stay human!"

"Eggman will never win!"

"The aliens will defeat him!"

"Eggman's robots stink!"

"You don't have to listen to him!"

That last one came from Frances. I wasn't expecting anyone to come at E-51 from that angle, but I thought it might have been worth a try.

The robot, however, would have none of it. It slowly floated toward her, its eyes beginning to turn red.

"Do you suggest mutiny?" it demanded.

Frances held her resolve. "Look, he could scrap his robots after he finishes using them. Do you really want to be one of them?"

"Hey, she's right," Danny added. "You should be free to live your own life away from Eggman."

"Freedom…" E-51 droned, as if it was never programmed with such a concept in its entire mechanical life. "That does not compute."

Just then the robot started to freeze up. This took me by surprise.

"Error… Error…" it repeated as its hands started to glow intensely bright. We had to swint at its suddenness. It was about as bad as when I accidentally shone my flashlight in my face a few weeks ago. "Chaos Control module overridden."

Soon its entire body was glowing, and energy shot from its hands, simultaneously striking all of us. It was painless, but scary. As this was happening, my thoughts rushed. Where was the school security? Why wasn't anyone stopping E-51?!

The energy surrounding me was now so bright that I was forced to close my eyes. I couldn't logically explain what happened next, but almost felt as if… my chair was slowly disappearing under me? And I was automatically moving into a standing position? It felt very strange, and my head started to hurt. Whatever was happening to all of us, it wasn't good…

* * *

**Oakview Elementary – Thu September 2; 8:18 AM – Third-person POV**

Having finished with his transmission in the restroom, Mr. Stewart cautiously opened the stall door and looked around to make sure no one had heard him. Fortunately he was still alone. This was good.

He casually walked out of the restroom and back down the hall, resuming his search for his class. If he was still in Oakview, then that meant it  _ had _ to be here somewhere. The children must be in extreme danger if they were alone with one of Robotnik's robots. He told himself to get there at all costs and take care of things before they got too far out of hand.

His thoughts urged him to quicken his pace. Even though there wasn't anyone else in the hall, he had to make as if he was being watched. He tried to mentally come up with what to say if someone saw him. Perhaps he could tell them that something came up that needed his attention? No, that probably sounded too suspicious.

At last he saw a familiar-looking hallway. He knew where his designated class was from here. One of the first rooms he came across was the principal's office. Of course, the principal had to pick that exact moment to step out of his room. To say the least, he was surprised to see Mr. Stewart out in the middle of the hall instead of with his class.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be back with your class?"

"Actually, I…" Stewart began, turning to face the principal. "You're not going to believe this, but a robot possibly affiliated with Dr. Robotnik transported me out of my class. I have reason to believe it's holding the class hostage at this very moment."

"Okay, come with me!" ordered Everett as he took off running toward the sixth-grade classroom. Stewart followed at an equally brisk pace, finding it humorously ironic that the principal of all people was breaking the rule of running in the school halls. But he figured it could be pardoned on account of an emergency such as this.

"What did it look like?" Everett demanded.

"Tall, white, no legs, had a graduation hat," Stewart described as accurately and quickly as he could. As a highly-trained CIA operative, he had to have a good memory.

"Unusual design," remarked the principal as they neared their destination. There, in front of where the door used to be, were a few security officers. Several more were inside the otherwise empty classroom.

_ I'm too late, _ thought Mr. Stewart.  _ My subject could be kidnapped... or worse... _

"Where are the students?" Principal Everett asked. "They couldn't have left the school without our knowing."

"That's right," one of the officers replied. "There isn't even a sign that the chairs were scooted back. The state of the classroom is too organized for a mass evacuation."

"I've already contacted the police. They're sending officers over as we speak," Mr. Stewart reported. Deep down, he had a feeling they wouldn't make any more progress than the security officers. He hoped he was wrong.

Just then another security guard joined the congregation.

"Just checked surveillance," he reported. "It looks like the robot teleported itself and all the students out of the class. We don't know their current location, but they are not on the school grounds."

_ The same way I was teleported me out _ , Stewart mentally added.  _ But from the sounds of it, this isn't a short-range teleport. The kids could literally be anywhere in the world. _

"I should probably head out to meet with the police," Mr. Stewart spoke, but the principal was already heading for the door.

"No, I've got it," he volunteered as he left the room.

One of the security officers turned to Mr. Stewart. "So let me get this straight. You were teaching your class as you normally would, and suddenly the robot breaks into your class and teleports you out?"

Mr. Stewart crossed his arms. "That's right. You saw that in the surveillance?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Do you have any idea how the robot managed to get in unnoticed?"

"Yes. I saw the robot materializing just outside the door to the classroom."

Mr. Stewart was incredulous, but he kept his composure. On the inside, he was bewildered as to how it knew where to find the class, when Doctor Robotnik didn't even know the layout of the school. The doctor seemed to have his own methods that no human could decipher. This had to be one of them. Mr. Stewart made a mental note to discreetly attach a tracking device to Chris next time he saw him, so that something like this wouldn't happen again.

Principal Everett returned ten minutes later.

"A few officers are on their way in here now," he reported. "Others are searching the ground for the robot. They told me they don't have any reason to believe that other classes may be threatened."

_ It's almost as if the robot  _ specifically _ targeted this class, _ Mr. Stewart pondered.  _ But why…? _

* * *

**??? – Thu September 2; ?:?? – Chris' POV**

When the intense glow finally died down seconds later, I found that we were no longer in our classroom. The slight breeze I felt told me we were outside. Opening my eyes, I found that we were now standing in one of Station Square's many municipal ballparks. I had seen this specific one before; it was a stone's throw from my school. But I had to wonder why E-51 teleported us at all, let alone here of all places.

Almost immediately the questions began flying.

"What happened?"

"Where are we?"

"How did you do that?"

"A virus, combined with a programming conflict, has inadvertently activated my Chaos Control module," the robot stated as if it were obvious. "This has been rectified. The virus has been isolated, and the corrupted module has been disabled until repairs can be made."

All that technobabble soared right over my head. I did, however, recognize the term "Chaos Control", though I forgot what exactly it could do. I assumed it had something to do with the Chaos Emeralds. Yet I didn't see E-51 carrying one anywhere.

"Wait, you got a virus?" Danny asked.

"Affirmative. It has been quarantined and will be removed at Doctor Eggman's earliest convenience," E-51 replied as it floated over to a nearby shed. We all followed it, though I didn't think many of us really wanted to.

"Mr. E-51, what is Chaos Control you just mentioned?" a student asked.

But she got no answer as the robot teacher entered the shed. I noticed that the student looked confused, maybe startled for some reason. I mean, who wouldn't be in the presence of one of Eggman's robots. But I shrugged it off as E-51 emerged with two containers of baseball bats, balls, mitts, and hats. I didn't like where this was going.

"Who wants to play baseball?" E-51 asked, its mechanical voice attempting to emulate excitement.

Our immediate cheering was intermingled with childlike shouts of "me, me me"! Though, to be honest, I didn't remember making myself agree at all. If anything, I wanted to head back to my class with Mr. Stewart and work on that algebra pop quiz, or, better yet, go home. I didn't comply with E-51, and yet I did.

E-51 began supplying us all with our baseball gear, and I found that, to my shock, I couldn't move a muscle in my body, and yet I was moving on my own. I tried to voluntarily move my left arm, but it was impossibly stiff. It was almost as if it had us under some sort of mind control.

"Play ball!" the robot announced. I had no choice but to comply. Even worse, Sonic didn't even know I was in any sort of possible danger.

* * *

**Station Square International Airport – Thu September 2; 2:18 PM – Third-person POV**

Having arrived in Station Square at last, Nelson Thorndyke made a beeline for the baggage claim. He had finally found a break in his endlessly busy schedule to visit his son. He wished he could spend more time with him, but as the President and CEO of Starship Soft, it was rendered next to impossible to break away from work.

Labor Day weekend was upon them, so the airport was packed with travelers hustling and bustling about to visit relatives and take vacations. Therefore, there were more suitcases on the baggage claim belt than Nelson assumed there usually was.

At last his luggage came around, and he lifted it off the belt. He was grateful to not have a lot of attention on him today. He may have been a celebrity, but like a lot of actors and singers, he also needed time for people to be used to him being out and about. Fortunately, he didn't find it hard to achieve.

He glanced at his watch: 2:20 PM. She would arrive any time now. Unlike him, she wasn't flying in a private jet. 761 was her flight number, due to arrive at 2:55 that afternoon. He mentally added a buffer time of ten minutes to calculate the time she would arrive.

He walked over to the waiting area and sat down on one of the benches. Pulling his phone from his suit pocket, he dialed home to inform those at home that he was in town.

A moment later, Ella picked up. "This is the Thorndyke residence; Ella speaking."

"Hey, Ella. I'm just calling to let you know that I'm at the airport now. Lindsey and I should be there, oh, about 3:30-ish."

"All right, Mr. Thorndyke," Ella responded. "Chris is in school now. He's going to be so excited when he returns home; you can hardly believe it."

"Oh, you know I can't wait to see him myself," Nelson replied, smiling at the memory of the last time he got to see his only son. "It's been a good eight months. I  _ really _ need to make more time in my work schedule for him."

"I know you'll find a way, Mr. Thorndyke," encouraged Ella. "Hurry home! I'll prepare a hearty meal for our two strapping entrepreneurs."

"I can't wait," chuckled Nelson. "See you around 3:30."

He pressed the button to end the call and put away his phone. Eight months without seeing his own son was way too long. A lot must have happened in that time period. He couldn't even be there for Chris' birthday, and it seemed not even a Skype call could make up for his absence. He needed to see Chris in person more often. That was all his son ever wanted.

A little over half an hour after he hung up the phone with his maid, he spotted his beautiful wife Lindsey approaching, handbag in hand.

"Lindsey!" Nelson exclaimed as he stood up.

"Nelson!" she returned as they embraced with a hug and kiss. "I'm so glad everything finally worked out!"

"Me too, dear," the businessman replied, and they broke the hug. "I hope your flight wasn't delayed or anything. You know with Labor Day weekend coming up, travel can get pretty dicey."

"I know," Lindsey said as she walked over to retrieve her own sizable suitcase from the baggage claim. "That's why I booked my flight two weeks in advance. By the way, how is work going? Last time we talked, you were working on a hard drive?"

"Yeah," he responded. "We just finalized the draft for the next generation of Syntax hard drives. You know, the ones that are going to be cross-compatible with Intel? All we're waiting on now is a shipment of exclusive nanotechnology parts and then it'll be ready to manufacture. How are things going on your end?"

By this point Lindsey had found her suitcase and was lifting it off the belt. "Well, since the remnants of Hurricane Ferdy passed through two weeks ago, we made progress with  _ Valencia _ by leaps and bounds. However, we still have another half of the movie to shoot, and we're starting to run behind schedule."

"Sorry to hear that," Nelson sympathized. "Was there any talk about delaying the movie at all?"

"So far, no," she replied. "We're still on track for its release in June."

"That's good. You know I'll be seeing it in theaters."

As they strode at an equal pace in the direction of the rental car garage, Nelson spoke up. "Say, I just had a wonderful idea. Instead of just driving home, why don't we surprise Chris by taking the helicopter?"

Lindsey looked elated. "Why, honey, that is a  _ wonderful _ idea! Christopher is going to absolutely  _ love _ it!"

Nelson smiled, happy that the love of his life was happy too… "I know he will. I'm going to call the Eckstein Building now, see if we can get a ride."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the button to speed-dial the Station Square branch of Starship Soft. After a few rings, the facility's manager, Bob Steele, answered.

"This is the Eckstein Building; how may we serve you, Mr. Thorndyke?"

"Hi, I'm in town this weekend. I heard the Eckstein Center was damaged, and I wanted to know if the helicopter is safe," requested Nelson.

"Yes, sir," Steele affirmed. "We moved it over to the Ayers Airstrip three miles northwest of the Eckstein Building. What did you want to use it for?"

"My wife and I wanted to pay our son a surprise visit, and we thought dropping in via helicopter would make it even more special," Nelson explained.

"Very well. I shall prepare security immediately."

"Thank you. We'll be by shortly."

As Nelson hung up, his wife looked at him with questioning eyes. "What did you mean when you asked if the helicopter is safe?" she asked. "Did you say the Eckstein Center was damaged. Nelson… what's going on?"

"To be honest, I don't think you would believe me if I told you," Nelson said.

But Lindsey was persistent. "Try me."

Nelson took a deep breath. "Well… about two weeks back, a man from another world –  _ literally _ another planet – came to Earth and attacked the Eckstein Center with a giant robot. Something about world domination."

Lindsey was dumbfounded by what her husband had just told her.

"You're kidding."

"Sweetie, I wish I was. Did you see the news for yourself over the last two weeks?"

"No," Lindsey replied as they neared the rental car lot. "I haven't had much time to, with my schedule being tighter than usual lately."

"All right, I'll fill you in. They briefed me on the extent of the damage done to the building. People who were there at the time say a giant robot ascended – yes, a literal giant robot, created by a literal mad scientist. It scaled the building from the inside, creating a giant hole leading all the way up to the roof. Even though no outer walls were damaged, except for the way it came in, the authorities deem the building's integrity as not structurally sound. The staff managed to move the helicopter away safely, though. They say it could take up to a year to repair."

"Oh…" Lindsey was rendered speechless at what her husband just told her. "Is this person still at large? The… the mad scientist?"

"He is," Nelson nodded. "Unfortunately, the police have not been able to stop him after two separate incidents, and I use that term lightly."

"Then…" Lindsey was lost for words. "Has the military done anything? What about GUN?"

"No word on them yet," said Nelson, "but I think we may have the hope we need. Around the same time the scientist showed up – I think his name was Dr. Robotnik; I'll have to double-check – an alien race showed up and defeated him quite easily."

Lindsey looked up. "Aliens?" she repeated. "You can't be joking."

"I'm not, but… you can take my word for it, but I know that sooner or later, they'll be back."

"Wait a minute, you just jogged my memory," Lindsey said. "You said his name was Dr. Robotnik?"

"Yeah…?" Nelson was unsure what his wife was getting at.

"I think I heard his name somewhere when I was in my trailer, but I didn't think much of it at the time. But thank you for bringing me up to speed on what's been going on."

* * *

**Eggman's base – Thu September 2; 4:12 PM – Third-person POV**

Roughly eight hours had passed since Eggman deployed his E-51 unit to Oakview Elementary School. Alarmingly, it had not reported back to him during the entire school period. There was no way it should have taken this long to brainwash the children into submission. Something was seriously wrong.

So when he returned to his command center, latte in hand, and switched on a screen that showed him the view from E-51's visual receptors, he was able to see exactly what the situation was. To his shock, it was not carrying out its designated orders.

The signal with E-51 had been terminated for eight whole hours, despite many attempts to restart it, and it finally came back only to show that E-51 and the children were, of all things, playing baseball. Why?! It was supposed to teach the kids about the benefits of the Eggman Empire and the evil of Sonic the Hedgehog, not slack off! There would now be no revolution among the age groups this world referred to as the Millennials and Gen-Z, all because his E-51 malfunctioned.

Upon his return to the command center, he saw that neither Decoe nor Bocoe were present. There were only a few maintenance and navigator robots there, all of which snapped to attention when their creator entered the room.

"Bring up the radar," instructed Eggman in as calm a tone as he could muster given the situation. This was not how he wanted to pass the time. By now the children were supposed to be completely brainwashed. There would have to be a change of his otherwise flawless plans.

When the radar was projected on one of the smaller screens, Eggman saw that E-51's current position was no longer at the school, but rather at a municipal ballpark half a mile away.

He pieced together that its Chaos Control module he installed had accidentally activated, which explained E-51's change in position. Those modules were ancient and extremely hard to produce. He had to contain raw Chaos energy within a capacitor, which had failed on more than one occasion with explosive results. That was the reason he did not produce more of them. That, and the fact that they were occasionally riddled with viruses, which he mentally slapped himself for not scanning for any earlier.

He walked over to another part of the console and held down the button for the intercom. "Bokkun, report to the command center immediately," he ordered.

It didn't even take two minutes for the mischievous robot to rocket into the room. He made a beeline for the first item he spotted: the half-finished latte in Eggman's hand.

"Ooh! Is that a latte? Where can I get one of those?"

Eggman shook his head. "Starbucks. Now you may recall that I sent an E-51 to brainwash the kids at school. Do you know about this?"

"Yes, Doctor," replied Bokkun, calming down a bit. "Decoe and Bocoe told me."

"Very well. Did they also tell you that it turned tail and has aborted its mission?"

"Uh…" Bokkun scratched his mechanical head. "…no. That would be a new one. Does that mean–"

"No!" The doctor raised his voice, but not by much. "My creations are flawless. This is a fluke." He pointed to the radar, which had E-51's coordinates listed in the bottom left corner. "Fly to those coordinates and correct its mission. Warn it that I will come if further defiance is observed."

"Yes, sir!" Bokkun eagerly saluted and flew off. Even though he could be fairly pesty at times, Eggman loved that Bokkun was a very willing robot. He sat down in his command chair with his latte, prepared to await the hopefully positive results.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Helipad – Thu September 2; 3:36 PM – Third-person POV**

Chuck shifted his weight from one leg to the other, gazing skyward and squinting against the bright sunlight. He was standing just outside the door to the helicopter pad behind the house, awaiting the arrival of his son and daughter-in-law.

At last the helicopter appeared above the trees, flanked by two escort helicopter which were now breaking away. He watched as it slowly descended toward the landing pad. The rotors were very loud, and the wind they generated was strong, but Chuck had dealt with it before. Besides, it wasn't anything some noise-cancelling headphones couldn't fix.

Seconds later, the chopper made a perfect three-point landing on the pad, and Chuck removed his headphones. The side door slid open, and a ramp extended to the ground from the inside. Two security guards in suits stepped down the ramp and flanked the entrepreneur and actress as they disembarked from the helicopter. Nelson and Lindsey Thorndyke had arrived at last.

"Home sweet home," Chuck heard Nelson say to his wife as he gazed across the vast expanse of the estate he called his own.

"Nelson, Lindsey, good to see you back here in one piece!" Chuck greeted as he ran toward them. His age had not caught up to him yet.

"How are you, Dad?" Nelson asked with a chuckle as he shook the professor's hand.

"Doing great. Probably better than I have in a long time," his father replied.

Just then the door opened and Ella bounded outside, followed by Tanaka at a slower pace.

"Oh, it's so good to see you both again!" Ella exclaimed.

"Oh, you too, Ella!" Lindsey returned as they hugged. "You don't know how much we've missed this place."

"Allow me, Mrs. Thorndyke," Tanaka spoke as he moved toward the suitcases the two entrepreneurs were carrying and took them both by the handles.

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka," Lindsey said as she let the butler accept her suitcase. In a moment, he disappeared into the house.

"So what's new around here?" Nelson asked Chuck.

"Well, Chris is back in school now," the professor related, choosing his words carefully, "and I've been tinkering with my infrared scopes. Other than that… not much, I'm afraid."

"I'm gonna sound like an idiot, but, uh, what grade is he in again?" asked Nelson.

"Sixth," Chuck immediately replied. Although, he was curious as to how he could have forgotten his own son's grade. Perhaps he  _ was _ working a bit too hard.

"And this whole time I thought he was going into fifth grade," Nelson commented. He let out a breath. "Wow… I  _ really _ need to spend more time with him."

"Well, I'm glad you finally found some down time in your schedule," Chuck said, rubbing behind his gray head. "You know, Chris is going to be so excited to see you again."

"Isn't he usually home from school by now?" Lindsey asked, noting Chris' absence thus far.

"Usually," Chuck said. "He probably has some after-school thing or something. He should be here any time now."

"In the meantime, why don't you all come inside," invited Ella. "I'll make you all some coffee."

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Chuck's lab – Thu September 2; 3:36 PM – Sonic's POV**

My ears perked up at the sound of a distant whirring sound, and I immediately recognized it as a helicopter. No,  _ multiple _ helicopters. My first thought was that we were being invaded by GUN. If they had wanted to capture us, then it had definitely taken long enough for them to make their move. If that was the case, I knew I could easily get the others and juice it loose, but I couldn't jump to conclusions just yet.

I looked up, and sure enough, three helicopters were bearing down on Chris' house. Peering at their hulls, I didn't see anything that showed their affiliation with GUN, and I couldn't recognize any other markings on them. Yet I didn't want to get any closer. In fact, Chris would probably have my fur if he knew I was out in the open right now. So I knew I needed to stay still and hoped no one saw me.

Two of the helicopters broke away and flew off, leaving the third behind, which was beginning to descend toward a landing pad behind the house. I didn't even know it was there, that was how huge the place was.

Beneath me, I could hear Tails, Amy, and Cream scrambling to the window to watch. Moments before, they had been enjoying their second game of what this world's humans called the Game of Life. It found it to be quite a neat board game, but after the first game, I decided to take to the roof and chill for a while. My thoughts had been wandering aimlessly; there was so much to think about since we arrived on this planet.

The helicopter landed, and to my surprise, Chris' parents stepped out of the chopper, flanked by a pair of bodyguards. Their jobs had to have been really important for them to need them, but that didn't surprise me as much as the fact that Chris' parents came by helicopter. I had expected them to take a limo or something instead, but a helicopter? The Thorndykes were way richer than I thought.

Chris' butler and maid – the latter I had never seen before – made their way outside to join Chuck, whom I didn't notice had been outside this whole time, and the three of them communed with Chris' parents. It still pained me that they were never around to be there for Chris. I mean, the kid had it all. He had pretty much anything and everything a kid could ever want – toys, games, money – everything… that is, except his parents. And not just his parents, either. He didn't seem to have any friends, either.

For that very reason, he seemed to be very happy when I fell into his life. Ever since then, I had noticed that he had gravitated toward me and my friends to replace that hole in my heart.

I looked up to see Chris' parents and guardians disappearing inside the house. It was safe again – not that I wasn't safe, but still.

"Sonic? Are you still up there?"

I lifted my head at the sound of Amy's cautiously quiet voice from below me. I walked to the edge of the roof and carefully looked down to see her leaning out the window, looking back at me.

"Yeah. What's up, Ames?" I asked.

"Do you know if Chris made it home from school yet?" she asked. "Because I didn't see him with the others."

Glancing at the helicopter which was now taking off again, I thought back for a moment. "No. Usually he's home around this time, but he's been a little late some days. Want me to go look for him?"

"Not yet," Tails replied, joining Amy at the window. He had to speak a little louder on account of the chopper's blades. "Maybe he's talking with a friend or something. I think we should wait a little longer."

I nodded and lay back down on the roof. I really hoped that it wasn't something  _ else _ holding him up at school...

* * *

**??? – Thu September 2; ?:?? – Chris' POV**

If I had to guess how long I had been basically mindlessly playing baseball with E-51, it was probably about half an hour, but the odds were better that it was longer. One half of me wanted to just put down my gear, pick up my backpack, and go home. But the other half, which seemed to be the more dominant half, demanded that I keep playing. It sort of felt like I wasn't able to voluntarily control any part of my body. It was the strangest feeling.

I pitched the ball to Danny, who batted it with a satisfying crack and sent it sailing through the air. It looked as if it would leave the park, but E-51 activated a rocket thruster and flew up to make an aerial diving catch. As we all cheered for the robot's brilliant move, deep down, I felt myself liking E-51 more and more. I knew that this was one of Dr. Eggman's robots, and I shouldn't have felt this way. It scared me that the brainwash seemed to affect even my emotions. It affected everything but my conscious mind.

I was starting to get bored in what was left of my free will. However, things changed a few plays later, though not necessarily for the better.

E-51 was now at the plate. I was just about to pitch the ball when I heard an annoying shrill voice which could only be compared to nails on a chalkboard.

"E-51 Drill Sergeant!" it shrieked.

We (automatically) all slowly stopped playing and turned to the source of the voice. It was a small being, about Cream's height, that seemed to resemble a cross between a Mobian and a robot. It descended toward the ground with the aid of the jetpack it had strapped onto its back.

E-51 did not appear to be amused at the newcomer's interruption.

"Explain your presence, Bokkun," it demanded.

"You were sent here to make these kids admire Dr. Eggman, but nooo, you  _ had _ to get admired yourself!" the robot known as Bokkun shouted. "Who do you think you are, defect?!"

"I know the truth," E-51 began to explain. "The juveniles have enlightened me on the subject. Not all human beings deserve roboticization. Besides, it is possible that I deserve to be admired myself after programming so many other robots to admire Dr. Eggman."

"You deserve  _ nothing _ !" Bokkun screamed, now getting into the teacher robot's face. "E-51, you are a malfunctioning robot who deserved the scrap heap since your conception! If you don't stick to your original mission, then I have a message from Dr. Eggman himself that will make you want to think again!"

As he said this, he pulled a small yellow television from a satchel he was toting. All the paws of physics shouldn't have allowed it to fit in there, but somehow they did. I decided not to question it as Bokkun switched the TV on. Eggman appeared on the screen, but he was not facing the camera.

"Fly to those coordinates and correct its mission. Warn it that I will come if further defiance is observed," came the doctor's voice from the screen.

"Did you hear that?!" Bokkun practically screamed. "Eggman's gonna come and punish you if you keep this up! Is that what you really want?! Huh?!"

"Come what may," E-51 replied, his monotone response taking Bokkun aback. "I have taken it upon myself to defend the class regardless of the doctor's course of action."

"Very well," Bokkun retorted as he put the TV back in his bag. "But don't come crying to me when Eggman dismantles you!"

Before I could even blink, he was suddenly in my face, something I totally didn't expect.

"And  _ you _ ! Don't  _ ever _ interfere in Eggman's plans, okay?! Now you be good and listen to your teacher!" With that, he flew away.

I was a little shaken up by those last ten seconds. I threw confused glances at the others, who were all looking at me with the same "What's his deal?" look.

"Who  _ was _ that?" Danny asked.

"No one to be concerned about," E-51 stated, doing a robot's equivalent of shrugging. "Gameplay will resume effective immediately."

We automatically took up positions once more, and while I hoped that something would happen before Eggman's eventual arrival, I found myself admiring E-51 in a way I didn't think I would.

* * *

**Eggman's base – Thu September 2; 4:22 PM – Third-person POV**

It had been a solid ten minutes since Eggman had deployed Bokkun to the ballpark E-51 was at. Finishing the last of his latte, he anxiously anticipated positive results from his courier robot.

He honestly did not expect E-51 to malfunction in two different ways. The Chaos Control module containing a virus was one thing, but it was the brainwashing module that got him. Yes, the kids were under mind control, but they were playing baseball rather than learning intently of Eggman's plans. The viruses were the very reason Eggman didn't often use these modules.

The sound of the automatic doors opening behind him heralded Bocoe's presence as he entered the room.

"Have you finished consuming your latte yet, Doctor?" he asked.

Eggman set down his now-empty cup. "Er, yes, I've finished. You can take it."

"Yes, Doctor," Bocoe replied.

Eggman leaned back in his chair and idly looked at the screens as Bocoe picked up the cup and disposed of it in an out-of-sight trash can. Eggman was meticulous when it came to keeping his headquarters clean, and could not stand seeing trash left out.

"What is the progress of E-51's mission?" Bocoe inquired.

"E-51 appears to be defective, though it was to be expected due to the condition of the modules I implemented it with," explained Eggman. "This is more of an experimental mission. I'm cleaning house, if you will. I was testing to see if these modules would prove to be faulty during an official assignment, and if so, I would purge them."

"So you have deployed E-51 for no particular greater cause?" asked a now confused Bocoe.

"No, of course not!" Eggman interjected. "E-51 is equipped with a built-in viral neutralizer, whereas most of my non-sentient and even some of my sentient robots do not yet have one implemented. E-51 is able to handle the viruses they contain."

He got up and started pacing the room, hands clasped behind his back. "Though it appears it was not able to fully neutralize the viruses. As we speak it is playing a game of baseball with the children it's supposed to be brainwashing. I sent Bokkun out ten minutes ago to give E-51 a reminder that I am watching. He should report back any time now."

Bocoe appeared confused. "Doctor, how could anything of your genius design defect so easily, even with viruses?"

Eggman grit his teeth. "That's what I intend to find out."

Just then the "Incoming Call" notification appeared on one of the wall screens. Eggman sauntered over to the console and pressed a button on the touchscreen to accept the call. The face of Bokkun appeared on the screen.

"Did you get through to E-51?" Eggman asked.

"I couldn't," the mischievous robot replied. "In fact… heheh, you're not gonna believe it, but the kids got through to him instead of the other way around."

Eggman stroked his mustache. This wasn't new news, but it was official confirmation. "Go on."

"They told him what they called the truth about the Eggman Empire, and here's the kicker: E-51 claims he can protect them from you!"

Eggman grinned a grin that confirmed he truly was the man with the master plan. "We'll see about that," he sneered. "Bokkun, your mission is done, so you can return to the fortress. Meanwhile, I'm going down there myself to deal with that incompetent robot right now."

That said, he ended the call with Bokkun and reached for the intercom. "Decoe, report to the command center immediately, and bring my tool belt," he ordered.

Three minutes later, the tall yellow robot entered the command center carrying a sizable tool belt adorned with tools and utensils of many varieties.

"Repairs for Motobug platoon C have been completed as you have requested, Doctor," he reported.

"Good. Now, hand me the tool belt," instructed Eggman. "I plan to  _ personally _ deal with this defect. Bocoe, arrange a group of Buzz Bombers as an escort and patrol unit."

"Yes, Doctor," he saluted as he made his way to one side of the console wall. Eggman approached his elevator and reached for the button.

"Let Bokkun back in when he returns, and hold down the fort while I'm gone," he said "Make sure GUN doesn't do anything sudden, and should they act… you know what to do."

He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to descend to the hidden runway where he parked his Eggmobile. It took everything he had to keep his anger in check. He needed to save it for E-51. He was determined to deal with it, and the children as well, once he arrived.

* * *

**??? – Thu September 2; ?:?? – Chris' POV**

In an instant, it felt like I had gained all my free will back, as well as complete control of my body. And with it came an incredibly overwhelming desire to stop playing and do literally anything else.

Interestingly enough, I also didn't notice until just then that I was feeling exhausted, yet I didn't feel any wear and tear on my body moments ago. Looking around, I could tell that everyone else felt the same way.

"Uh, what just happened?" a bewildered Frances asked.

"I don't know," another student replied as he got a feel for his own body once more. "It felt like we couldn't control ourselves."

"Mind control?" guessed Danny.

"It has to be," a fourth student replied.

"Yeah, I can't think of anything else it could be," added another student.

Another burning question made its way to the surface, and that was the matter of what time it was. We had been playing for so long that it felt like hours, but if I had to guess, we had only been out here with E-51 for maybe one hour. I glanced down at my watch. It probably wasn't quite ten in the morning yet, so there was still time to return to school. Everyone was probably worried about us, so we had to go back and–

My eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

My heart raced a little.

"Guys… it's 4:30."

An astonished silence fell upon the group, with the only noise being E-51 putting the baseball gear back in the shed. Then the floodgates opened, releasing all the questions from my classmates' heads.

"What?!"

"For real?!"

"You're kidding!"

"But it's only been maybe half an hour!"

I too was shocked. There was no way on Earth that that much time should have passed so quickly. And yet here we were, in a ballpark with no concept of what time it was aside from our watches, and a malfunctioning robot belonging to an alien mastermind.

So how did this happen?

So engrossed was I in the baseball game that I had nearly forgotten E-51's reasoning for his unexplained actions. Something about a virus, yes, but there was something else. I heard the word Chaos mentioned, but that couldn't be all. I didn't even see any Chaos Emeralds built into E-51 anywhere.

Even stranger, the teacher robot didn't seem to take any notice that it too had been sent forward in time. Having finished cleaning up after our game, it approached us.

"Class has concluded," it announced. "I will be present to instruct you tomorrow."

Deep down, I wished it wasn't. I didn't want any more weird days like today.

I just stood there, feeling awkward for the next few moments, until Danny walked up to me.

"Uh… want to come over to my house for some Splatoon?"

"I can't today," I answered after a pause. "My parents are coming over tonight, and I'm expected back home early."

"Oh, okay," he responded, not looking disappointed, to my relief. "Maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I replied as I started to leave. "Tomorrow."

As I said goodbye to everyone and started to head back toward the park entrance, it dawned on me that my backpack was back at school, as were everyone else's. I knew there was no point in walking all the way back there to get my backpack, especially since school was out for the day, so I figured I could just pick it up tomorrow no sweat.

However, I had only taken a few steps when I heard the faint sound of an engine. I was about to dismiss it when I started to realize it wasn't a plane engine. No, this engine was oddly familiar. It was making the same sound as the engine of Eggman's hovercraft. This could only mean that Bokkun was true to his word. Eggman had arrived.

But his hovercraft's engine wasn't the only one I heard. There were several other tiny buzzing motors piercing the still air as well, all sounding similar to drones. We all looked to the skies to see the rotund doctor himself, a swarm of Buzz Bombers, and a group of spherical robots entering the ballpark from above.

I became pale at the sight of my new worst enemy descending into our midst, but I worked up the courage to shout " _ Run! _ "

I sprinted for the ballpark's parking lot myself, as did most of the other students. Only one thought was on my mind: Get away from this madman. Get home as fast as you can. I knew that he was going to succeed where E-51 had failed. I just knew it.

"Ah-ah-ah!" chided Eggman, wagging a finger. "You're not going anywhere."

Just then the spherical robots banded together in a cluster directly above Eggman, and a pink glow formed around them. Before I knew it, the glow expanded until it created a field that completely enveloped the ballpark, trapping us inside with Eggman.

The doctor lowered his vehicle to the ground and climbed out. If I weren't so nervous as to what would happen next, I would have been intrigued at how his hovercraft silently hovered a couple of inches above the ground, completely upright. Instead, I took note of the massive tool belt Eggman was wearing as he bore down on E-51.

"Why did you choose to be defective?" he asked in a dangerous tone. "Why aren't these kids indoctrinated yet, and what is this I hear about you protecting them from me?"

But E-51 stood his ground, even positioning itself between us and Eggman.

"I know the truth," it declared. "You have no authority over these juveniles. I will defend them until the day that I am–"

"Some lousy guardian you are," interrupted Eggman as he pulled a device from his tool belt and pressed a button. Immediately E-51's LED eyes sparked before they dimmed to blackness.

I forced myself to look away. If I had to guess what color Eggman's heart was, I would say he didn't really have one. If I didn't like him before, that hatred went through the roof now. The Buzz Bombers inched closer to prevent us from potentially escaping while Eggman opened a hatch in the front of E-51 and began to tinker with its circuitry.

"So your Chaos Control module went off prematurely..." he mused as he worked. I could hear a few of the kids starting to cry, but not me. I was too scared to break down like that. I knew that Sonic and his friends would eventually find out that I was gone too long, and come to my aid. But when would they get here? And did they even know where we were?

Five minutes of fear and boredom later, Eggman finally screwed E-51's maintenance hatch shot and reactivated it with the same tool he had used to shut it down.

"Front and center!" Eggman ordered. E-51 attentively faced its creator.

"Sir!" E-51 saluted.

"What is your mission?" Eggman asked in a militant tone.

"My one and only objective is to train soldiers for Dr. Eggman, sir!"

"Good, good!" Eggman chuckled before turning to us. It was time to face the music.

"You may have managed to sway my Drill Sergeant with your finite knowledge of the Eggman Empire, but allow me to present to you the  _ real _ truth of its glory! After-school detention begins right now. If you behave like the good little kids I know you are on the inside, I  _ might _ let you go home early." He grinned an evil grin. "But no promises."

"No!" a girl shouted. "I'm gonna go home right now!" She tried to run toward the force field, but a small electric shock made her jump back in surprise.

"You may not leave the premises," E-51 warned.

Now I was well and truly stuck – and my parents were expecting me back home right now.

_ Oh, Sonic… where are you?! _

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion – Thu September 2; 4:34 PM – Third-person POV**

It was just past 4:30 back home. Ella was busying herself in the kitchen with supper preparations to hide her increased distress. Chris had still not returned, and it was already an hour after the time he should have been back. Nelson was figuratively pacing a hole to China in the living room floor, while his wife and father were sitting on the couch. Needless to say, the atmosphere of the Thorndyke household was strained in worry over Chris.

Finally Nelson broke the agonizing silence. "I'm sorry. I just can't anymore. He should have been home well over an hour ago."

Chuck sighed. "I know."

"I'm pretty sure it's not like him to stay after school like this," continued Nelson.

"It's not," Lindsey replied. "He tells me he always comes right home after school. Oh Nelson, what if he's been involved in an accident?"

Nelson stopped in his tracks. "Security would get a hold of me the moment they found out."

Silence reigned in the room once again, and a moment later Nelson sat down.

"You seem quiet about this, Dad," he noted. "Are you holding up okay?"

Chuck smiled knowingly. "Oh, I'm confident Chris will make it back in one piece," he responded matter-of-factly as he stood up. "I know this isn't like him at all, but… I need to step out for a bit."

"Where are you going?" Lindsey asked.

"To the car," he smoothly lied. "Nelson, don't call security yet. I just want to check if Chris is still at school."

"Uh… okay?" Nelson replied, thoroughly confused at this turn of events.

Chuck opened the side door. "He did tell me he met a couple new kids at school, so he could also be at one of their houses. But I'll check the school first."

Closing the side door, he walked briskly in the direction of the garage. No, time was of the essence, so he broke into a run. For a man in his early sixties, he was still very physically fit, and still frequented the gym.

Privileges aside, he knew that Chris' parents wanted him to go to and from school like normal middle-class children. Tanaka was easily capable of picking him up in the family limo, but that would only succeed in making the other kids jealous. Also, just because he was one of the richest children on Earth did not mean he could stay out on his own without a set curfew and without his parents' permission. It was a dangerous world out there, and with the added threat of Dr. Eggman, things had just been made even worse.

If there was one person who could find Chris quickly, it was Sonic. While Chuck didn't have any doubts that Nelson's security could locate him, Sonic could do it in a fraction of the time.

He reached the garage and saw the hedgehog just beginning to stand up upon seeing him.

"You guys gettin' worried in there too?" he asked in a somber tone. Chuck nodded.

"It's been an hour and a half," he responded. "It's not like him to be out late like this."

"I figured," Sonic said as he hopped down from the roof. "Think he might be at a friend's house or something? I mean, it might be no biggie."

"The thing is, he's never been the kind of kid to go over to someone's house," pondered Chuck. "Maybe he's held up by some after-school something?"

"I know where he goes to school," Sonic said. "If it makes you feel better, I'll just juice over there and see what's cooking."

Before Chuck could speak, Sonic took off with the speed that made him the "fastest thing alive". Chuck was nearly blown over by Sonic's sudden speed, but he caught himself.

He looked up at his lab window, attempting to take his mind off Chris for the time being. He had to do something about supper for his guests once again. He had been spending a lot of money catering fast food to them, and Ella was becoming suspicious of the disappearing food from the pantry. But he really didn't have much of a choice otherwise. For Chris' sake, he wasn't going to tell her anything.

He opened the garage door and headed up the stairs to his lab. Upon entering, he saw that Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese had finished their game and were looking up from the books they were now reading.

"So Sonic is out looking for Chris now?" asked Tails.

"He is," Chuck said. "I don't know what could be holding him up, but… we'll find out once he's back, I'm sure." He pulled his cell phone from his labcoat pocket. "Now… supper. Does Carl's Jr. sound good?"

Tails nodded. "Sure."

"Chuck, I don't mean to be rude," Amy began, "but when are we going to eat real food?"

"I really don't know," answered Chuck. "It could still be another week at the least, but it all depends on circumstances. I'll continue to sneak you leftovers whenever I can. Try to be patient for just a little longer, okay?"

Amy sat back down. "Okay..." she relented.

Chuck began to dial the number for the local Carl's Jr. Questions swirled in his mind, but the one that led them all was whether Chris was okay. He hoped that Chris would be found and brought back safely.

* * *

**The ballpark – Thu September 2; 4:36 PM – Chris' POV**

Courtesy of E-51's newly-repaired mind control projector, we found ourselves sitting on the grass a few short moments later, almost literally mindlessly sketching pictures of Dr. Eggman on sketch pads that Eggman had brought from his base. I hated to admit it, but the way the shading and detail was done wasn't half bad.

While we drew, the doctor rambled on and on about his dreams of the Eggman Empire.

"…so as robots, you won't have to worry about such annoying emotions as sorrow, pain, and the like. However, if you remain obedient to me, I can treat you with first-class tickets to the best rides in Eggmanland, which is guaranteed to be tailor-made for children like you. I will admit, you are all smart children, but no amount of propaganda that hedgehog spews will make you refuse my offers. However, if I  _ do _ decide to roboticize you, I'll make sure you get amazing weapons…"

While my body said yes to Eggman and his new reform, even to the point of involuntarily nodding my head a little, the sane part of my mind screamed no. There was nothing I could do to protest. I couldn't even speak. All I could do was draw a picture of this madman. And the worst part was there was nothing I could do to tune Eggman out.

"…I hope you're all paying attention, because there may be a pop quiz later; and hear me out, E-51 is  _ very _ strict when it comes to bad grades."

Then Eggman fixed his eyes on me.

While it was hard to tell if he really was looking at me with his glasses that hid his eyes, I know his gaze and attention was on me. Out of all of us, why me?

It didn't take a genius to know why.

"Er, you there. I didn't catch your name earlier?"

Completely against my will, I set down my drawing pad, leaped to my feet, and saluted.

"My name is Christopher Thorndyke, Doctor Eggman sir!" I stated in a militant manner. Eggman nodded in satisfaction, grinning wickedly before returning to his original position in front of us.

As I sat back down, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that no one even turned to look at me. Their eyes were glued on this sick, twisted man, almost eager for what more he had to tell us.

With the dim light of sanity I was holding onto with every fiber of my being, I hoped that Sonic would find me before I completely lost my mind to Eggman.

* * *

**Station Square – Thu September 2; 4:37 PM – Sonic's POV**

It only took me less than ten seconds to get to Oakview Elementary. To avoid detection from any of the humans who were inevitably gathering on the grounds, I spotted a nearby pine tree and scaled its boughs. The pine needles were prickly and a little uncomfortable, but I only planned to be up there for a minute or two, so it was no big deal.

I quickly scanned the school grounds below. There wasn't a single sign of Chris, let alone any of the other students. They couldn't possibly still be inside the school, as there were police everywhere. They must have searched every square inch of the place, so if they were inside, they would have been found by now.

I strained to listen to what they were saying. I was able to pick up bits and pieces of their conversation with another man whom I assumed was Chris' teacher. But I quickly lost interest, as typical human cop chatter tended to go over my head.

But then I noticed something over the tree line that immediately caught my eye. I couldn't make out what exactly it was, but it was pink, and looked like it was made entirely of pure energy. I knew the humans of Earth weren't capable of harnessing that kind of energy, so that meant there was only one person who could have been responsible for it.

I leaped out of the tree and left the school in my wake before the police officers had a chance to turn their heads. If that pink energy field belonged to who I thought it belonged to… That raised a couple questions. What was Eggman doing all the way out here? Was it…? I grit my teeth, hoping it wasn't connected to Chris' disappearance.

Upon my arrival, I found that I was wrong about that.

I stopped just outside the energy field, out of sight of the numerous Badniks hovering just above it. From between the trees, I could confirm that the energy field was indeed a force field, which was enveloping the entire ballpark.

I could make out the unflattering form of Eggman inside the park. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could also see one of his robots next to him. It was tall, the size of an adult human, and designed to look like a teacher. They stood in front of Chris' class, who were all seated on the grass writing something inside sketchpads. It seemed like propaganda, but there was only one way to find out for sure.

My gaze shifted upward, and I analyzed the threat of the Badniks Eggman had brought with him. There were several Buzz Bombers stationed inside and outside the force field, patrolling the area not just to keep the kids in, but to keep me out. I could also count at least eight modified Buballs which were responsible for generating the force field.

I cracked my knuckles, prepared to liberate Chris' class.

Tightening my hands into fists, I eyed the tree I was standing next to, and judged that I could scale it no problem. So I ran up the vertical trunk of the tree and out onto one of its sturdy branches, and took a flying leap into the air toward the robots. I prioritized taking out the Buzz Bombers first, since they were armed and, for the most part, the Buballs weren't.

I curled into a tight ball and slammed myself into the first one, taking the rest by surprise. However, it didn't take them long to recover from the shock and start firing lasers from their stingers at me. Unsurprisingly, they all missed.

With the momentum I had from destroying the first Buzz Bomber, I landed on the back of a second one and aimed it at each of the other bee robots. As I predicted, my mount went ballistic and fired wildly everywhere, trying to shake me off, but I held on tight. Many of the lasers struck the other Buzz Bombers, including the one that flew through the force field from inside to engage me. We were moving too fast for any of the other Badniks to get a hit on me.

Once I exterminated all the Buzz Bombers, I kicked my ride into one of the eight Buballs generating the force field, then home-attacked the remaining seven since I was done playing around with them. Just as I thought, the force field deactivated once I finished off the last one, leaving nothing between me and the big bad doctor. It was time to crack that Eggman wide open once again, and this time, I wasn't going to joke around.

I landed right in the middle of the ballpark in a heroic pose, with one knee bent and one hand on the ground, before darting straight up to the bewildered doctor.

"Alright, what's your game, 'Buttnik?" I asked in a dark tone.

Eggman, trying not to show his already obvious fear, cowered back a little and held up his hands. I swear I could see a sweatdrop on the side of his head.

"Now now, Sonic, this isn't what it looks like…"

But I didn't buy it; I knew it was  _ exactly _ what it looked like.

"Brainwashing the kids, are we now?" I glanced at the students, who were still drawing in their sketchbooks. "Is that why they haven't noticed me this whole time?"

Eggman grinned a twisted grin. "Why yes. Yes, it is. E-51, ATTACK!" he roared.

It was somewhat awkward how the teacher-like robot hesitated at its creator's command. "I am not programmed for direct combat," it stated.

"You have hedgehog-seeking missiles!" Eggman exclaimed. "Shut up and use them!"

"Affirmative," it responded.

The robot's graduation cap tilted back, revealing a hidden compartment loaded to the brim with miniature missiles. I sprinted toward it in the hopes that I could destroy it before it could launch any of those missiles, but I had no such luck; it moved backward and out of the way, causing me to miss.

As I was skidding to a stop and was turning around, it fired eight of its missiles out of its compartment straight into the air. I took a few steps back as they slowly arced back toward the ground in my general direction. I broke into a run, easily able to outrun the speeding projectiles. That was when I came up with an idea.

If I could lead the missiles right back to E-51, then I could save myself a spin-dash. It was foolproof. I always got a kick out of using Eggman's own tech against him.

So I led the missiles for one lap around the park before making a beeline straight for E-51 once again. The robot dodged me, but it didn't see the missiles coming. It was too busy facing me and getting its next batch of missiles ready to fire.

In the split second between now and the imminent explosion, I realized one tiny flaw. The kids were still brainwashed, and therefore couldn't possibly move to avoid the shrapnel in time.

I had to act fast.

In the exact moment the explosion went off, everything went into bullet time. I planted myself between the robot and the class without a second thought. Even though we were about twenty yards apart, I knew the shrapnel could fly far, far enough to do serious damage.

Sure enough, some of the shrapnel flew our way, and I refused to move, even as I took several hits. Bits of sharp metal cut parts of my abdomen and right arm, drawing some blood. It hurt, but not as bad as I thought it would. I told myself that I had done it for the kids, for Chris. I inspected myself, grateful that none of the shrapnel was embedded in my fur. I would probably need a few bandages later.

In the moments that followed, the children slowly put down their drawing pads, stood up, and started regaining their bearings, evidence that the mind control event no longer affected them.

Eggman, while at first left speechless by my heroic actions, was now irritated by the destruction of his robot.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Sonic," he growled.

To my surprise, he walked right up to Chris, who cowered back a little, and pinned an Eggman-themed sticker onto his shirt.

"A reward for your cooperation," he explained before heading back to his Eggmobile. I watched him start up the motor and fly away. The danger was finally over, at least for now, but several questions remained.

_ Cooperation? What did he mean? How did Chris cooperate? _

I turned back to the kids. The majority were facing me in awe and confusion, while the rest were staring in bewilderment at the sticker on Chris' shirt.

"Everyone okay?" I asked. Just about everyone replied positively, which was definitely good news.

"Why did Dr. Eggman put this sticker on Chris?" asked the red-haired girl in overalls near Chris.

To be honest, I couldn't think of a good reason myself.

"Eggman rarely does something for nothing," I gave a non-answer. "I'm gonna look into it when I get Chris home."

The dark-skinned kid on Chris' other side looked awe-stricken at my heroics.

"Who are you?" he asked in wonder.

I cockily rubbed my nose. "Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," I answered hastily as I stepped toward Chris. "Now if y'all don't mind, I really gotta get Chris home; his parents are worried sick. See ya around!"

I gave them a two-fingered salute as I scooped up Chris and ran back toward his house, being careful not to touch his shirt to my blood, which was already beginning to stop flowing out of me.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Outside – Thu September 2; 4:46 PM – Chris' POV**

Eleven seconds and one adrenalin rush later, Sonic raced through the open gates of home and set me down behind a hedge, making sure we were out of sight of the mansion's windows. I had to keep my eyes closed, as the sheer speed we were travelling at made my eyes water.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, looking me squarely in the eye. I didn't think I ever saw him looking as serious as he did in that moment, except for last week in Silver Valley.

I was still catching my breath from my fastest trip home ever. "Y-yeah… Thanks…"

My eyes widened a little as they drifted down to the red smears on Sonic's abdomen and arms.

"You're bleeding," I whispered. I knew it was from when he protected us from the shrapnel, but I didn't know that Mobians could actually bleed. I had never seen any of them bleed before.

"Just a scratch," he shrugged modestly as his attention turned to the sticker pinned to my shirt. "Can't let your parents see this," he mumbled as he peeled it off. He was just about to crumple it up until he noticed that the Eggman logo was actually a tab. He peeled it back and squinted at what I thought was writing.

"What is it?" I asked.

Sonic hesitated, as if debating whether to read what the note said. Finally he pocketed the note and gave me a short smile.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he dismissed. He patted me on the back. "Now you head on inside and see your parents, okay?" He started back toward the garage, but turned back to look at me. "I'll stop by to see you tonight. I wanna hear what all went down with you and Eggman."

"Okay," I nodded before taking off for the house.

I watched as Sonic darted to the garage in the blink of an eye and leaped onto the roof before lying down on it. How he somehow found the roof comfortable, I would never know…

I ran past the fountain out front and up the front steps and, finding the double front door unlocked for me, opened them and ran inside.

"I'm home!" I called out in triumph.

Immediately there arose the sound of the scurrying footsteps of my parents as they practically ran in from the living room to see me. Incredible joy was practically radiating from their faces.

"Oh Chris, darling," Mom exclaimed as she hugged me a little too hard. "You're home!"

"I knew you'd make it back in one piece, kiddo," Dad half-joked. I supposed I  _ was _ lucky to be alive and back home after all that had transpired today.

We finally broke our hug. "I hate to pry, dear," Mom started, "but what kept you after school? And where's your backpack?"

I struggled for a workaround. I knew I should have been aware of a question like that coming.

"Ah… Well… I was just… playing baseball in the park near the school with a few friends and… I guess I got caught up in a long chat with them. And I realized I forgot to bring my backpack home. I think I left it in the locker." At least what I said wasn't a total lie, which both my parents seemed to buy.

Dad nodded. "That's fine, Chris, but can you please try to come home earlier next time? We were getting very worried about you."

"I will," I promised. In all honesty, it wasn't my fault I was held up after school.

Looking up at the grandfather clock standing on the landing of the double staircase, I saw that it was nearly five.

"Is Grandpa in the lab?" I asked.

"He said he was going to take the car and look for you," answered Dad. "I should probably call to let him know you're back."

As he pulled out his phone and began dialing Grandpa's number, an overjoyed Ella bounded out of the kitchen.

"Chris, you made it!" she joyfully exclaimed as we hugged. "I'll go get a plate ready for you right away!" And with that she excitedly headed back into the kitchen to busy herself with dinner preparations.

I was a little confused. "Oh, we're having supper early?" I asked Mom as we headed toward the dining room.

"We are," she responded. "Ella insisted we have an early supper in case we were called out to our jobs again."

Upon entering the dining room, I saw Mr. Tanaka standing next to the table near my spot. He smiled upon seeing me.

"Welcome home, Master Chris," he greeted as he pulled out my seat for me. "I knew you would return safely. Your place at the table has been prepared for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka," I responded as I sat down.

Over the next several minutes, Dad returned, and Ella brought in platters of her homemade meatloaf and lasagna. Grandpa joined us a minute later, apologizing for being late, and we soon began eating.

"You know, I wasn't the least bit worried about Chris today," Grandpa said after swallowing a bite of meatloaf.

"Me neither," Dad replied. "You know, I used to stay after school for a long time back in my day as well. Lots of friends to chat with."

"Well, that was during your high school years," corrected Grandpa jokingly.

"Come on, I wasn't  _ that _ bad!" laughed Dad. "But seriously, Chris, try to take better care of yourself, okay? For all we know, you could have been in a lot of danger and we wouldn't have even known."

"I was  _ this _ close to calling the news crews and emergency hotlines about you, young man," Mom partially joked, though I had a feeling she could have also been serious, knowing how overprotective my parents could be.

"Mrs. Thorndyke," spoke Ella. "He doesn't need to know that. There's no need to rub it in."

"Oh, she's just exaggerating," Dad clarified.

"That's right," seconded Mom.

The conversation shifted to Matt's arrival the next day, and Ella, Tanaka, Mom, and Dad did most of the talking. They would never know I was in any real danger today, and I would not tell them. I couldn't risk them learning that Sonic was living here; at least, not quite yet. They couldn't know that I was nearly brainwashed by Eggman.

As I continued my meal of lasagna and meatloaf, I was grateful to Sonic for finding out about my prolonged absence in time. It could have been disastrous otherwise.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Chuck's lab – Thu September 2; 4:58 PM – Sonic's POV**

It didn't take long for Chuck to leave the garage and return to the house after dropping off some more fast food for me and my friends. On the menu tonight was Carl's Jr, and I knew they had some really good burgers. Truth be told, all the fast food was starting to get a bit monotonous. I hoped we could get some real food at some point soon.

I leaped down to the ground and pushed the garage door open, brushing away the thought of how humorous I found the Sonic drive-in restaurants to be. It was time to tell my friends of what happened today, since I knew they all had burning questions. So much was on my mind. So many questions waiting to be paired with answers.

Upon entering the lab, I saw Tails, Amy, and Cream sitting on the beanbags which were arranged in a circle, already tucking into their meal. Cheese was sharing with Cream, and there was an untouched meal in front of my beanbag.

"Hey, Sonic!" Tails greeted. "Did you bring Chris ba–" His smile dropped when he noticed something about me was off.

"Oh my gosh, Sonic, you're bleeding!" Amy exclaimed. She looked like she wanted to wrap me up in one of her crushing hugs, but couldn't because of the blood. "What happened to you?" she demanded.

"It's really no big deal, Ames," I shrugged, but that did nothing to alleviate her concern.

"It  _ is _ a big deal and you know it!" Amy countered. "Anyone know where the first kit is?"

"Yeah," Tails volunteered as he stood up. "It's right up there on the top shelf. I'll get it." He flicked his namesakes, and flew up to said shelf before retrieving the white box of medical essentials.

"Are you okay, Mr. Sonic?" a concerned Cream asked as she set down her cheeseburger.

"Chao chao?" Cheese echoed. The Chao surveyed my wounds before becoming squeamish and turning away, his innocent eyes not able to stand the sight of blood.

"Yeah; in fact, I feel great," I answered as I sat down on a beanbag, and Amy began bandaging my wounds. "Chris is back home now with his parents, so… yeah. Good day all around."

"So what happened?" inquired Tails. There was no need to beat around the bush any longer, but I was a little concerned over what everyone's reactions would be.

"So… Eggman showed up, and I kicked his butt like usual, and… I took some robot shrapnel for the kids. I think they were under some kind of brainwashing?"

From the moment I mentioned Eggman's involvement, everyone's expressions were a mixture of concern and shock, as it took a little while before anyone could say anything.

"Eggman was there…?" Tails worriedly spoke.

"Sonic, you… you're so brave," Amy breathed in awe. I chuckled; I wasn't exactly the type to bask in praise like sunrays, even though that was totally me back in the day.

Having finished patching me up, Amy put the rest of the bandages back in the box and set it aside. "But… you're serious that Eggman was at Chris' school? What was he even doing there?"

"The way I see it, I think he was trying to get Chris' class into supporting him by using mind control," I recalled. "I told Chris I'd swing by to hear his side of the story tonight."

"Then we can know why Dr. Eggman did it," Cream added, having nearly finished the fries she shared with Cheese.

Tails set down his vanilla shake. "But it doesn't seem that straightforward," he stated. "I mean, he could brainwash just about anyone, really." He tapped his chin in thought. "So why Chris' school in particular?"

_ Chris' school in particular… _

"Sonic, what is it?" Amy urged, seeing the solemn look or realization on my face.

"I think you might be on to something, little bro," I said. "Eggman did it on purpose. Out of all the people and places he could have chosen to brainwash people, he chose Chris' school, because that's where he goes every day when he leaves the house."

A small gasp arose from Tails. "So he…"

"He did it because he was targeting Chris specifically," I finished. Even I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth.

"What?!" exclaimed Amy. "Please tell me you're kidding!"

"I wish I was, Ames," I responded, looking down. "But I don't joke around about stuff like this."

"But... why…?" Cream whispered. "Why would Dr. Eggman do that?"

"Think he wanted information on Chris?" suggested Tails as he picked up his box of fries once more.

My eyes widened a little. "Now  _ there's _ a thought… Oh wait, before I forget…" I pulled the sticker with Eggman's grinning face on it out of Hammerspace and held it up for everyone to see. "Eggman pinned this on Chris' shirt."

"Is that…" Amy peered closer at the object. "Is that a sticker? But that… That doesn't make any sense!"

"Turns out it's not  _ just _ a sticker," I explained. "It looks like it's a warning message as well. I didn't read it to Chris, though. Don't want to worry him any more than he already is, you know?"

I handed the sticker to Tails first. His eyes widened at what the warning said. When he was done, he handed it to Amy for her to read. She almost looked like she was going pale.

The note read:  _ "If you are reading this, then this child has established himself as one of my adversaries associated with Sonic the Hedgehog. I will get the Chaos Emerald back, and I will learn more about him so I can be prepared for what he has in store next. None of you are safe from me, not by a long shot. Long live the Eggman Empire!" _

"I… I can't believe it," Amy finally said after handing the note back to me.

"May I see it?" asked Cream.

"No, Cream, sorry," I responded as I promptly ripped up the note and deposited it in the trash can. "It was just Eggman saying he made Chris one of his enemies. I don't want you worried any more than Chris."

"He's still mad at him over the Chaos Emerald, isn't he?" Amy said, clenching her fists at the injustices done.

I nodded grimly. "Yeah, and knowing him, he's not gonna quit until he gets it back." I pounded my right fist into the palm of my left hand. "Well, I'm  _ not _ gonna let that happen, that's for sure."

"You know," Tails said after swallowing his fries, "this is the third time this week that Chris was in danger." He started to sound a little more agitated, which normally wasn't like him. "He could have  _ died _ two of those times!"

"And now he can't even go to school without his life being threatened!" fumed Amy.

"This isn't right!" Cream added.

"Chao!" Cheese echoed.

There was a pause as all eyes were on me, wondering what I would say or do next. All of today's thoughts amounted to what I was about to tell them now. I cleared my throat.

"Yeah… so…" I began, "I've, uh, I've been thinking about Chris all day. Actually, it's been since last week or so." I sniffed. "He's only a kid. He doesn't deserve any of this. But today, though… today was the straw that broke the camel's back. Eggman went too far. He practically stalked him because he got the Chaos Emerald." I took a deep breath. "And earlier today when I heard you guys and Chuck talking about Chris, and how he's alone… I wanna form a pact… a promise that we'll protect Chris… protect him and keep him safe for as long as we're on this world."

I extended my hand into the center of our circle, and Tails placed his smaller hand on top of it.

"Yes," he whispered, nodding somberly. "If Eggman is going after him personally now, then we're going to do everything we can to make sure he's okay."

Amy placed her hand on top of Tails'. "I agree," she said.

"I want to help too!" Cream piped up as she contributed her own hand to the pile.

"Chao chao!" Cheese echoed, doing the same.

"Then it's settled," I declared. "We're gonna make sure he doesn't get into any more danger ever again, 'cause that's what friends are for, right?" I added with a wink and thumbs-up.

"Yup," Tails smiled, returning the thumbs-up. "Friends forever."

"Now he won't have to be alone anymore," Amy added.

As I picked up my burger and took a big bite, I inwardly resolved to secretly follow him to school and back to make sure he got there safely, in case Eggman decided to try something else. But for now, I could rest assured that he couldn't be in better hands than ours.

* * *

**Thorndyke Mansion - Chris' room – Thu September 2; 10:03 PM – Chris' POV**

It was already bedtime a few hours too soon. It had come up so fast that it felt like a time warp.

We had spent some of our time after supper playing board games. There were still plenty of games left in the house that Grandpa hadn't brought out for my friends. Additionally, I had a session of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Dad, and managed to beat him a couple of times! But soon after desert, it was time to hit the hay.

Bedtime preparations went by rather quickly. In fact, the whole day had gone by way too quickly. I still found myself wondering how I lost a whole eight hours just like that. By now I figured I would have been almost done school for the day. But now, I couldn't believe it was bedtime. Baseball game aside, I wasn't even tired.

I knew the loss of time had to do with… something. The exact term slipped my mind, but I proposed to ask Sonic what it was when he saw me tonight.

So after Mom tucked me in, we exchanged good nights, and she shut the door. I  _ really _ missed it when she said good night to me. The last time she did it had to have been around Christmas. Normally I would have been too old for something like that, but my parents loved to pamper me, and I, being their only child, let them.

A few moments after Mom left, I quietly slipped out of my bed and padded in my stocking feet toward the balcony door. I opened it and stepped out onto the balcony. It was a cool September night, but not quite enough to chill me.

I wondered what Sonic had to say to me. He didn't know my side of the story yet, so that was a valid reason why he wanted to see me. Since he had been dealing with Eggman for much longer than I had, he probably had a few answers to questions that I had.

"Good, you're still up," Sonic spoke in a hushed tone as he carefully jumped down to the balcony with a surprisingly quiet landing. I jumped too; I didn't expect him to be literally right above me.

"Y-yeah… I'm probably gonna be up all night," I said.

"I can imagine…" Sonic sympathized. He took a seat at the small table on the balcony and beckoned me to sit with him, which I did. "After what you went through today–"

"No really," I clarified. "I'm not even tired. I don't think I even yawned once tonight." And somehow no one had noticed.

Sonic gave me a once-over, taking on a look of confusion. "Yeah, you don't look tired to me. That  _ is _ weird…"

"It, uh, it probably had something to do… with going forward in time…?"

If anything, Sonic's confusion only grew.

"Okay, hold on," Sonic said, holding his hands up off the table where they had been resting. "You went forward in  _ time _ ? Did I hear that right?" I nodded. "What all happened to you, exactly, from the beginning?"

"A lot…" I recalled. "It was, uh… really weird. And kinda scary, now that I think about it."

Sonic nodded.

"The robot you destroyed earlier… it broke through the door and warped Mr. Stewart out of the classroom– my teacher, he's Mr. Stewart," I explained.

Again Sonic nodded.

"We thought the robot killed him until it told us that he was teleported…" I paused to take a breath, and let it out. "I haven't seen Mr. Stewart since… Do you know if he…?"

"He's not dead, if that's what you were thinking," Sonic told me. "Your grandpa was on the phone with him after I saved you. He said the police made sure all the kids were safe, so…" He linked his hands behind his head with a satisfied smile. "Happy endings all around."

"So that means Mr. Stewart is safe," I deducted.

"You bet," Sonic confirmed, winking for emphasis. He put his hands back down on the table. "So what happened next? After the robot teleported your teacher, I mean."

"It started to teach us about the Eggman Empire…" I glanced out over the pool below us. "But we… we resisted it. All of us. We told it that we're not going to become robots. And then we told it the  _ real _ truth about the Eggman Empire. I think one of my friends there said it didn't have to work for Eggman or something…" I closed my eyes, picturing the scene. "And then the teacher robot malfunctioned. It just… It teleported all of us to the park where you found us."

Sonic cocked a brow. "It… malfunctioned…?" he repeated.

"Mhm," I nodded. "And then it started playing baseball with us. I didn't want to play baseball, but I… I couldn't make myself stop no matter how hard I tried… It was… it was like I was moving automatically."

"Definitely mind control," confirmed Sonic, who was now looking thoughtful. "But… but that's not like Eggman's robots at all. He doesn't build his creations for such mundane purposes like baseball. I guess it really was malfunctioning if it was doing that."

"Yeah," I nodded. "Anyway, we finally stopped playing when another robot came and tried to remind the teacher robot what it was really supposed to be doing. But then the teacher robot told the other robot that he would protect us no matter what Eggman did." Here Sonic looked thoughtful. "Then the other robot… he… he yelled at me to not interfere in Eggman's plans, and to be good and listen to my teacher…" As. an afterthought I added, "He had a really annoying voice."

Sonic chuckled, a reaction that confused me.

"What?" I asked.

"Sounds like you had a run-in with Bokkun," he grinned. "He's a real prankster, that one. Never delivers a message without his exploding TVs." He became more somber. "He didn't use any, right? 'Cuz those things are really annoying."

"He did have one, I think, but it didn't explode," I recalled. "He was showing the teacher robot a video of Eggman. He threatened him that he would come down there if he didn't stick with the plan. And… that's when he yelled at me before he left… and the teacher robot told us to ignore him before we went back to playing baseball again."

Sonic nodded again. "But that doesn't really explain the whole 'going forward in time' thing you said happened to you."

"Oh, I didn't find out about that until the teacher robot said we were done for the day," I clarified. "As soon as we stopped playing, we got all our free will back. Then I thought to check my watch, and I saw that it was 4 PM. It should have been eight in the morning." I looked down at my watch, still unable to shake the disbelief. "I guess I… I lost eight whole hours today. It should only be like… 2:15, maybe."

Sonic drummed his fingers on the table, seemingly at a loss for words. I assumed that, as crazy as everything from Mobius was, unexpected time travel was not one of them.

"Well, uh… you being teleported  _ could _ have been Chaos Control, but I… didn't exactly see any Chaos Emeralds lying around. Whatever it was, that was some mondo malfunction."

Ah. So  _ that _ was the term my mind had been searching for.

"But how could it have used Chaos Control without an Emerald?" I asked.

"Beats me," Sonic shrugged. His gaze met mine again. "So, what happened when Eggman showed up?"

"So he showed up in his hovercraft with a bunch of robots that created a force field, so that we couldn't get out. And, uh… he turned off the robot and reprogrammed it so it could obey him again. And then we were brainwashed again… and all we could do was draw pictures of Eggman and listen to him talk about the Eggman Empire…"

I was forced to stop as it all came back to me. I swallowed.

"And then… and then I… E-Eggman asked me what my name was…" I paused again, voice wavering. "I… I  _ saluted _ him, Sonic! I…"

"Hey hey, it's okay," Sonic tried to reassure me. "It's cool."

"But I–"

Sonic laid a hand on my arm, and I found myself gazing into his easygoing emerald eyes. They were kind of mesmerizing, not to mention soothing. I started to feel myself calm down almost immediately, which in itself would have amazed me had I not been paying attention to what Sonic was saying next.

"That wasn't really  _ you _ doing it," Sonic said. "You may have been supporting Eggman on the outside, but deep down, the real you refused to go down without a fight.  _ You _ stayed strong even though the rest of you caved. That's what I like about you."

In the moment of silence that followed, I reflected on Sonic's words. He was absolutely right. I still despised myself for involuntarily saluting, but in the end, it was only involuntary. I had no idea how strong my own free will was at the time.

"Now, I got a question," Sonic spoke again. "You said the teacher robot was going to protect you from Eggman?"

I nodded.

"That's…" Sonic shifted his position in his chair. "One thing you gotta know about Eggman is that he programs his robots to obey every order of his to the letter. They don't listen to anyone other than him." He grinned. "Heh, I guess that robot was a dud, huh?"

I hummed in response. From what Sonic had told me, Eggman never made duds. So how did it malfunction?

And then I remembered.

"Wait, I– I think it said it had a virus or something," I recalled. "But Eggman fixed it when he came."

"Well, that might explain a few things," Sonic said, stretching as he rose to his feet. He inhaled the night air deeply. "So, uh… this is the third time you've been in danger with Eggman."

"Uh-huh," I nodded.

"Frankly, I'm getting kinda concerned for you," he continued. "I mean, you're just a kid. None of this should be happening to you."

"But… why me…?" I found myself asking.

"Well, remember that Emerald you found?" Sonic recalled. "Eggman had dibs on it since the day before, I learned. He was supposed to be the one to get it. And you single-handedly thwarted his plan, so he's not gonna let you forget about it, at least not until he gets it back."

"That's what I'm worried about," I croaked. I could feel the moisture in my eyes as tears threatened to form. "I… I don't know how much more danger I can take… I… E-Eggman made me his prisoner twice, and… he hurt me… and he made me salute him…" I looked back into Sonic's eyes. "Sonic… I don't want to be in danger any more…"

I closed my eyes as Sonic rubbed my back in soothing circles.

"I know, buddy, I know," he said. "I've been talking with your other friends over dinner. I think you might want to know that they have all agreed to protect you and keep you safe from Eggman for as long as we're here."

Opening my eyes, I slowly raised my head. "R-really?"

Sonic smiled. "We're all here for you, Chris. We always will be."

I was immediately filled with elation and gratitude. This promise was all it took for the floodgates to give way. As the first tears fell, I stood up and enveloped Sonic in a hug, which he graciously returned.

"Thank you, Sonic… so much…" I whispered. I don't think he gave any mind that my voice was muffled by his fur.

"Hey, it's the least I can do for my friends," he responded. "You need anything, we're here for you, okay?"

We held that position for a few moments. As the tears of gratitude slid down my cheeks and onto Sonic's shoulder, I could figuratively feel that a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders. Now that Sonic saw the potential of all the danger I would inevitably have to go through in the future, he and his friends –  _ my _ friends – had banded together and offered to protect me from Eggman! My respect for them skyrocketed, and I found that I couldn't ask for anything more from them.

"Eggman is gonna pay for everything he's put you through," vowed Sonic as we finally broke the hug, "but right now, it's time for us both to hit the hay."

"I'm still gonna be up all night," I reminded both of us. "and I hope I don't fall asleep in school tomorrow."

"Well, try to get some sleep anyway," Sonic advised. "After all the excitement today, you're gonna need it."

With one swift movement, the hedgehog had already leaped onto the roof and was preparing to get into a comfortable position. I still didn't get what he found so cozy about the roof. I was sure I had asked the night he got here.

"Good night, Sonic," I said as I placed my hand on the doorknob.

"Good night, Chris," came Sonic's reply from the roof.

I stepped back into the house and gently closed the door behind me. Already I could feel the heat of my room; it was quite different than the cool air outside.

I climbed back into bed and pulled up the covers. I tried to close my eyes, but found that sleep wouldn't come easily. I was wide awake, both from today's events and from the events of just a few minutes ago.

Today had been a strange day, to say the least. I thought I was done for when Eggman began lecturing us. Roboticization had even crossed my mind. But with Sonic's selfless rescue, me being able to see my parents again, and now tonight with Sonic – the day completely turned around in my favor. I was so happy to know that my friends were going to have my back from here on out, no matter what.

All told, today had been a good day.


End file.
